2022 has been a year full of ups and downs in the automotive market. We’ve seen some incredible highs from vehicles like the Ford Bronco Raptor, the GMC Hummer EV, and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. We’re wondering which cars you think belong on the other end of the scale though. Which cars from 2022 have been the most disappointing?
The candidates are numerous for a number of reasons but we’ll focus on just a few examples of cars that really let people down. First, the Toyota bZ4X and its Subaru Solterra twin haven’t made too many friends since its introduction. Billed as the Japanese brands’ first foray into modern crossover EVs, the Solterra / bZ4X seemed to stall right out of the gates.
First, customers were told that it might not fast charge in cold weather. Then, it was delayed in June due to a recall over wheels that might fall off. Finding a solution to that problem took so long that Toyota offered to buy cars back from customers. More recently, European tests found that it achieved half the advertised range with Toyota responding that it will be looking into it.
More: Which Car Company Is The Most Disappointing?
Next up has to be the Hyundai Santa Cruz. When it was first announced it seemed like a potentially huge win for Hyundai. It had little to no competition and could bridge the gap that some customers were stuck in. Then, the Ford Maverick showed up with better fuel economy and a lower price tag. Granted, it’s not super easy to find a Ford dealer that’s charging what the Blue Oval itself says the truck is worth.
If you’re asking me – and by all means, feel free to disagree, it’s got to be the Volkswagen I.D. Buzz though. The company still hasn’t announced pricing or specs for the US version, but in Germany, it’s not cheap starting from €64,581 (equal to $68,500 at today’s rates) despite the fact that the base model (Euro-spec) has less horsepower than a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid at 201HP with an 82 kWh battery delivering an estimated driving range of 424 km (261 miles) on the WLTP cycle.
I’ve never been a VW fan but I was really hoping that finally, it would blow the doors off of critics with an aggressively priced and well-rounded electric bus. It doesn’t look like that’s in the cards. What is the most disappointing new car of the year in your eyes?
