The Best New Cars, Trucks and Other Vehicles of 2022

This story is part of the GP100, our list of the 100 best new products of the year.

With the onset of mass electrification, the motoring world is undergoing its biggest change since abandoning literal horsepower. It will affect all vehicle segments — from pickup trucks to motorcycles to camping trailers. But while change may look like a broad arc in collected narrative form, it happens in fits and starts on the ground.

This year saw some truly groundbreaking electric vehicles — from pickup trucks to daily drivers — hit the market. But concurrently, traditional combustion power is hitting its technical zenith. Here in 2022, the same automotive executives promoting a vibrant zero-emissions future can be touting a super-powerful gas-fueled performance SUV’s “smiles per gallon” with the very next tweet.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford

Why It’s Notable: Ford has combined the best of the past and present to create the truck of the future: an electric pickup that surpasses internal-combustion models in many ways.

The Big Picture: So far, automakers’ efforts to create electric cars have tended to take one of two tacts: evolutionary or revolutionary. The former often uses platforms shared with gas-powered vehicles and even share looks or names with them; the latter goes with bespoke EV platforms and spawns vehicles that usually look little like their petroleum-drinking relatives aside them in showrooms.

The F-150 Lightning falls firmly into the former camp: it’s based on the internal combustion model, and looks almost identical, with only its grill-free, LED-unibrowed front end tipping off passers-by. Climb inside, and it’s even more familiar; the only tip-off that there’s anything different about this particular truck is the presence of its 15.5-inch tablet-oriented touchscreen in the middle of the dash.

Ford

Ford

But all it takes is one good prod of the right pedal to realize this is no ordinary F-150. With 775 lb-ft of torque instantly available, it takes off like a shot — the 0-60-mph sprint goes by in four seconds flat, 3.75 tons of weight be damned. Its passing powers are even more remarkable; mash the accelerator at 30 mph, and it’ll hit 50 half a second before a Porsche 911 GT3 does. Anyone still suffering from the misguided belief that electric cars are slow, sad-sack eco-machines only need a few seconds behind the wheel to change their mind forever.

It’s quick when it comes time to recharge, too. The Lightning can suck up electrons at more than 155 kW, enabling it to go from 15 percent charge to 80 percent — enough for 200 miles of highway travel — in 40 minutes. And with available features like on-board Wifi, an integrated work surface between the front seats and bucket seats that fold flat like international business-class thrones, finding pleasant ways to fill that time shouldn’t be hard to do.

Ford

2022 BMW iX

BMW

Why It’s Notable: This futuristic SUV proves that the Motor in Bavarian Motor Works doesn’t only have to apply to internal-combustion powerplants — the brand is equally adept at making impressive electric vehicles.

The Big Picture: Go ahead, make your jokes about its looks, if you want. In person, though, the iX is more appealing than its profile pic might lead you to believe, with a presence and aggression that stands out from the SUV pack; this is BMW’s current design language at its best. It’s a hoot to drive, too. Even the base model packs more than 500 horses, and it feels even quicker, thanks to the instantaneous response of its dual motors. Add in truly impressive range — more than 300 miles on the highway in our testing — and an elegant, cleanly designed interior, and you have one stellar crossover that’s all the better for being powered by electrons.

BMW

2022 Land Rover Range Rover

Land Rover

Why It’s Notable: The world’s first luxury SUV is reborn once again, packing even fancier accommodations and higher technology than ever before.

The Big Picture: Car dealerships are jammed with high-end sport-utility vehicles these days, but they all follow the path carved by the first Range Rover back in the 1970s. All that competition has been a boon for the Rangie, however; it’s forced the icon to hone its edges to razor-sharp perfection. The all-new fifth-generation model may look familiar at a glance, but beneath its skin, it’s all-new, tech-packed and more luxurious than ever — while still maintaining all the off-road capability implied by its name. Practically the only thing it can’t do for you is help you decide which version to buy: with two different wheelbases, three seating layouts, four trim levels and a choice of inline-six, V8 or plug-in hybrid powertrains (with an all-electric version coming soon), there’s a Range Rover for every taste.

Land Rover

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai

Why It’s Notable: Hyundai built a tremendous all-around daily driver — one that just happens to be electric.

The Big Picture: Many manufacturers played it safe with their first modern, mass-market EV. They listened to the bean counters and produced conventional, mainstream crossovers like the Volkswagen ID.4.

Hyundai went a bit bolder with its first dedicated EV platform vehicle, the Ioniq 5. Images prime you to view the Ioniq 5 as avant garde: striking lines cutting across the door frame meet ’80s retro-futurism with pixelated lights. Its silhouette screams hatchback, which tends to rouse a congenital disgust from American buyers. But the Ioniq 5 reads differently in person. The Ioniq 5 looks fresh and distinctive, but hardly out there. And it’s larger and more spacious than one would anticipate; its wheelbase is about four inches longer than Hyundai’s three-row Palisade SUV.

Hyundai

Hyundai

If the Ioniq 5’s style doesn’t win you over, the driving experience will. It’s unabashedly an electric car, leaning into features like one-pedal driving, some of the most advanced charging tech on the market and enough instant torque — 446 lb-ft in AWD spec — to thrust you back into your seat. But it does that approachably, balancing quickness and precision with a supple suspension that eats up road bumps.

We did not bestow the gamechanger title on the Ioniq 5 — it will have to be content with its three World Car of the year awards — but that’s mostly because the Hyundai Motor Group launching an exciting, paradigm-redefining new vehicle has become an expectation, not a surprise. Our toughest decision was not whether to include the Ioniq 5 on this list but leaving out its perhaps-equally-worthy E-GMP platform siblings, the Kia EV6 and the Genesis GV60.

Hyundai

2022 Zero Motorcycles DSR/X

Zero Motorcycles

Why It’s Notable: Electric power and long adventure rides don’t normally come to mind as a winning combo, but Zero Motorcycles has rewritten the narrative on what an electric motorcycle is capable of with its DSR/X adventure bike.

The Big Picture: The DSR/X adventure motorcycle is pound-for-pound a more agile, powerful adventure bike than many of its gas-powered counterparts. At 544 pounds, the burly-yet-nimble DSR/X is no joke: the brand-new Z-Force 75-10X motor produces a staggering 166 foot-pounds of torque and the Z-Force 17.3 kWh PowerPack provides ample power and the pinnacle of performance for the brand. And for those concerned with range, don’t be; Zero says it put over 100,000 engineering hours into the DSR/X, and the dedication to craftsmanship shows. The DSR/X can knock out nearly 200 miles if you take it easy, yet the bike is capable of speeds up to 112 mph.

Zero Motorcycles

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Chevrolet

Why It’s Notable: The Z06 may be the last purely naturally-aspirated V8 Corvette — and it broke a world record for power.

The Big Picture: An output of 670 horsepower? It’s starting to feel downright commonplace in the sports car realm. The difference with the new Corvette Z06 — the second iteration of the new C8 model — is that it’s naturally-aspirated power. There’s no supercharger. There’s no turbocharger. There’s no electrical assistance. Chevy just gives you a straight-up, record-settingly powerful 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 derived from the C8.R race car that revs up to 8,600 rpm.

For now, the Z06 is the apotheosis of Corvette combustion. But in a few years, it will be the bedrock for the most exciting and revolutionary Corvettes we’ve ever seen. Chevy is reportedly plotting a ZR1 model that will add a twin-turbocharger for about 850 hp. And the halo Zora version will pair the ZR1 setup with a hybrid motor for around 1,000 hp.

Chevrolet

2022 GMC Hummer EV SUT

GMC

Why It’s Notable: The Hummer is back. It’s big and audacious as you remember it — but this time, it’s electric.

The Big Picture: When you hear “electric car,” the first image to mind may be a sleek Tesla or a quirky eco-compact like the Nissan Leaf. But to show off the supreme capabilities of its new Ultium EV platform, GM chose the vehicle you would least expect, reviving the gas-guzzling Hummer nameplate with the GMC Hummer EV SUT. The new electric pickup does not just claim the title of Supertruck; it shows how EVs will redefine what Supertruck means.

The Hummer EV SUT 1st Edition’s tri-motor powertrain puts out an astounding 1,000 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in about three seconds in WTF mode (it stands for “Watts to Freedom,”not, y’know). It can hoist itself up to offer 15.1 inches of ground clearance with Extract Mode. Did you ever want your truck to scuttle sideways like a crab? No? Well, the Hummer EV SUT can still do that as a party trick.

GMC

GMC

GMC’s Supertruck remains a true Hummer for the electric age. It weighs more than 9,000 lbs. It makes wasteful use of electricity, requiring a gargantuan 212-kWh battery pack to attain its 329 miles of range. And a four-and-a-half-ton pickup that can accelerate like a Porsche, off-road like a Jeep Wrangler and struggle to fit in a garage is undeniably silly. But for car enthusiasts, the GMC Hummer EV SUT’s existence should be encouraging.

The fear with EVs was that everything would be like that Nissan Leaf: sensible, efficient and drab. The GMC Hummer EV SUT exemplifies how EVs aren’t here to stifle our imagination about what a car can be. They are here to bring that imagination to new heights.

GMC

2022 Lexus LX 600

Lexus

Why It’s Notable: The Lexus LX, while charming, needed a major overhaul. Lexus brought the vehicle up to present standards and absolutely nailed it.

The Big Picture: America did not get the new-generation J300 Toyota Land Cruiser. But we are still receiving its snazzier corporate sibling, the all-new Lexus LX 600. The LX 600 moves to the new TNGA-F platform and ditches Toyota’s reliable-but-ancient 5.7-liter V8 for twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 power. The new setup adds 26 more hp, 76 more lb-ft of torque and offers comprehensively better handling and on-road manners. And it does so while consuming gasoline 36 percent more efficiently.

The LX 600 matches and exceeds its competitors on fanciness. But like its predecessor, it does so while remaining an inveterate Toyota truck underneath. There are many full-size luxury SUVs out there. But not many of them will let you seamlessly transition from dropping the kids off at school to climbing a mountain trail to kicking back in the massaging rear seats while your chauffeur transports you to a business meeting.

Lexus

Taiga Nomad

Taiga

Why It’s Notable: The first electric snowmobile brings a whole new world of sensory bliss to outdoor winter powersports, trading rude-and-crude internal combustion for clean, quiet riding.

The Big Picture: Few motorsports experiences are more improved by electrification than snowmobiling. Snow machines, as their fans often call them, are fun to be on, but they’ve also long been unpleasant to be around; their engines scream like chainsaws, and their fumes can leave those in their wake coughing. Taiga’s Nomad (and the Canadian startup’s other models, the Atlas and Ekko) burden riders and bystanders with none of that; the only sound you’ll hear is the crunch of snow under its treads. Granted, there’s a catch: these EV snowmobiles are range-limited to just over 60 miles. Still, for many riders, that’s plenty — especially if the tradeoff is quiet riding and easy breathing.

Will Sabel Courtney

2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-Class

Mercedes

Why It’s Notable: After decades as a soft, relaxed cruiser, the SL is returning to its sharp-edged sports car roots — and taking aim at the iconic Porsche 911.

The Big Picture: Most of us likely know the Mercedes SL-Class as something of, well, a grandparents’ car: a cushy convertible cruiser ideal for puttering around Florida, the O.C. or Long Island. It’s placed that role for decades, happily choosing comfort over sportiness and finding a niche amongst well-off buyers who value the same.

Mercedes

That long slide into softness ends with the all-new seventh-generation model, however. The latest SL-Class is designed to be more aligned with its 1950s-era progenitor, which was a sports car every bit able to keep up (or surpass) with the Porsches, Maseratis and Ferraris of its day. In case you need proof of its sporting bonafides, check the name; there are no Mercedes-Benz SL-Class models anymore, only Mercedes-AMG ones. At launch, it only comes with a V8 under the hood, in two choices of tune: the angry SL55, and the angrier SL63. And it only comes with all-wheel-drive — not because Mercedes anticipates a sudden influx of Arctic Circle customers, but to make the most of those AMG engines’ power.

But power is no stranger to the SL-Class; Mercedes has been fitting massive V8s and even mighty V12s into it for decades. What does feel novel about this new AMG-developed SL is how it reacts to being slung through turns. Rather than complain, moan or plow, it bites, grips and rips through with the aggression you’d expect of a proper sports car — because that’s what it is. The all-new SL was created to take the battle to the Porsche 911, and it’s every bit up to the challenge.

Mercedes

2023 Toyota GR Corolla

Toyota

Why It’s Notable: Toyota promised America its own hot hatch after denying us the pint-sized GR Yaris. And it’s here.

The Big Picture: The GR Corolla is anything but your typical boring compact car. The GR Corolla gets 300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque from the GR Yaris’s tiny 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine. That engine pairs with a six-speed manual transmission — as the automotive gods intended — and Toyota’s outstanding and driver-adjustable GR-FOUR All-Wheel Drive system.

The GR Corolla flouts Toyota’s traditional conservatism. Building all-new, supremely sporty, combustion-powered, manual transmission hatchback counters every trend in the automotive industry. Even the legacy hot hatches that are all-new in 2022 are not really all-new. But the GR Corolla wasn’t a tough sell for Toyota president and part-time racing driver Akio Toyoda, who was involved in the development — and has an even sportier limited edition version named after him.

Toyota

2023 Cadillac Lyriq

Cadillac

Why It’s Notable: This sleek, futuristic crossover represents the future of Cadillac — one dominated by electric power over thumping V8s, and names that end in q.

The Big Picture: The Lyriq may not be the first electric car sold by General Motors, or even the first built on the groundbreaking new Ultium platform that’ll serve as the backbone of its EV onslaught for the next decade. It is, however, the first electric Cadillac — and considering that brand will be going all electric by 2030, that means it’s our first look at what the Caddy of tomorrow will be. Its long, sleek design blends SUV practicality with futuristic looks, a gorgeous and luxuriant interior offers a first-class experience for occupants, and with more than 300 miles of range, it can knock out long trips with an ease many EVs can’t match.

Cadillac

Airstream REI Co-op Special Edition Basecamp Travel Trailer

Courtesy

Why It’s Notable: Overlanding and camping present a paradox. To retreat into nature, you must do your part in destroying it by burning fuel to get out there and burning even more fuel to operate your campsite. But two of our favorite brands, Airstream and REI, pointed the way forward by collaborating on the Airstream REI Co-op Special Edition Basecamp Travel Trailer.

The Big Picture: The Basecamp is Airstream’s smallest and most affordable camping trailer. And it comes with some helpful features to make its production and operation more sustainable. The interior uses sustainably grown wood and fabrics and laminates made from post-consumer recyclable material. The trailer gets a solar power upgrade with 360W of flexible solar panels as well as a recirculating water heater, a UV LED water filtration system and — if you’re willing to plunk down a bit extra — a composting toilet.

The Airstream x REI Basecamp isn’t the Airstream of the future that will power itself electrically to reduce strain on the tow vehicle and improve efficiency. But it’s a more improved and sustainable camping trailer that’s on the road now.

Courtesy

2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

Harley-Davidson

Why It’s Notable: The very first Low Rider debuted in 1977 to rave reviews. Some 45 years later, the latest edition beautifully blends modern amenities and old-school cool.

The Big Picture: No matter how gorgeous a classically naked cruiser might look, blasting highways gets old fast with bugs in your teeth, a wrist cramp and a spine telescoped by a heavy pack. Thankfully, Harley’s newest Low Rider pairs throwback style with just enough practical prowess to skirt those hangups, turning our tester’s 500-mile road trip into a blissful breeze. A no-frills fairing deflects wind, cruise control and a lively throttle spare your wrist and streamlined saddlebags tote cargo without impeding lane-splitting. Meanwhile, a minimalist LCD “tech gauge” tracks vitals, a $1,020 audio option truly rocks and the 1923-cc Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-Twin rumbles a reassuring reminder that even in 2022, nothing sounds like a Harley.

Harley-Davidson

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