The new cars delayed because of coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the car industry hard, with sales plummeting as factories closed down and dealerships shut their doors.

The constant influx of new models to the market has meant that some exciting vehicles have therefore been delayed at various stages of their development, with some not even being revealed and others just waiting for dealers to reopen.

Here are some of the new cars that have been hit by coronavirus-related delays.

Two new Ferraris

Ferrari is being delightfully vague when it simply says it will reveal two new models in 2020. While early speculation hinted at delays forcing a 2021 release, the Italian firm has since said the models will only be delayed by three to four months.

Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said the company looked at its bottom line to reduce costs and expenditures in 2020, and decided that it would have to delay some models, while others will arrive on time.

Aston Martin DBX

Aston Martin’s first SUV has received rave reviews ahead of its launch, but anyone who’s put in an order might have to wait a little longer for their car to arrive.

On March 30, the British company confirmed billionaire Lawrence Stroll would take over, with a rights issue raising £536 million and a further £150m being made available to the company.

That funding would allow the DBX to go into production, but Aston Martin’s factory in St Athan, Wales, has been shut because of the pandemic.

Maserati MC20

Another one we haven’t even seen yet, the new Maserati supercar had been scheduled to be revealed this month, but it will now not be seen until September.

We know very little about the MC20, other than a hint at its silhouette in camouflaged teasers. However, Maserati says the model will see the brand ‘return to the world of racing’.

Ford Mach E

Once all the ‘you can’t use the Mustang name for an electric SUV’ drama from enthusiasts had died down, excitement for the first of Ford’s new era of e-mobility has been growing.

The Mustang Mach-E is a handsome and intriguing car, but enthusiast forums have been sharing images of a notice sent to Norwegian buyers saying their cars will not be delivered until November.

In a statement, Ford said: “We’ll have more details to share on the timing of our upcoming all-new vehicles once we have safely brought our factories and facilities back online. Final timing is not yet determined.”

VW ID.3

The launch of the first of Volkswagen’s new electric vehicles, which use an all-new EV platform, has been beset by delays. The issue surrounds the software built into the car, which is said to be completely unusable.

In March, the Financial Times quoted VW’s chief financial officer Frank Witter saying that the target was still an August release, though he admitted the company was “a bit handcuffed” because of coronavirus factory closures.

Couple this with engineers working hard to figure out the major software issues and the ID.3’s 2020 release date is coming increasingly under strain.