NOW in its 31st year, the Wesbank South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) Car of the Year competition was arguably the best represented this year. The competition, which comprised 12 finalists spanning an interesting cross-section of the vehicle spectrum, was judged by 26 jury members, including members of the Motor News team.
Including road driving assessments and various simulated driving conditions at the Gerotek testing facility, west of Pretoria, putting all finalists through their respective paces highlighted various elements of each vehicle.
This year’s finalists are: BMW i3, Citroen C4 Cactus, Ford Fusion, Honda HR-V, Jaguar XE, Kia Sorento, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Mazda2, Opel Adam, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 308 and Volvo XC90. It is an intriguing list that includes no less than three SUVs and two crossovers.
While the competition remains unique in that each contestant is physically put through various exercises by each jury member, this year’s competition also saw a new scoring system as the competition migrated into the digital era. In this instance a tablet-based user interface proved efficient and easy to use. As depicted by the screen grab, the system uses a parameter of scoring criteria ranging from exterior styling to value for money and overall excellence.
The latter remains one of the most important in that each finalist needs to show a level of excellence that is peerless in its segment. Whether it be design, technology, refinement or dynamics, the car in question has to be more than just a cut above the segment, but redefine it.
The BMW i3, which is the second full electric vehicle to be launched in SA after the Nissan Leaf, brings an altogether new element. It is the first electric car locally to be offered with a generator, with the finalist being the range extender version which uses a 600cc bike engine to recharge the batteries on the move. The generator works solely to replenish power and not to drive the wheels.
It is a novel item for SA where most people commute longer distances than, say, in Europe. It is a great system that banishes the range anxiety that is associated with most electric cars.
Packaging is fairly good with good space upfront, although entrance to the rear quarters, even with the rear-hinged doors, is awkward. Boot space is decent, thanks to the clever packaging of the battery pack, which has also yielded decent legroom thanks to the flat floor. At a base price of R611,500 it is not cheap and the vehicle we drove on the test days was priced at R736,500.
Citroen’s C4 Cactus with its quirky French design was a pleasant surprise. Light, nimble and with decent performance from its 1.2, three-cylinder turbo engine, it performed quite admirably. At R320,400 as tested on the day — base price is R314,900 — it is reasonably priced. Build quality, admittedly, could be better but the rest of the package is decidedly good.
The Ford Fusion is yet another great product that deserves to be lauded. It has great styling, acres of passenger and boot space, good tech levels, a lively turbocharged engine and a palatable price of R375,170 as tested — R367,900 base price.
Honda’s HR-V looks the part thanks to its coupe-like styling and a decent interior that is well laid out. Space is good for a small family to cram in its daily paraphernalia. While the engine is reasonably powered, the continuously variable transmission lets the rest of the package down. Pricing at R370,500 is not cheap either, but it comes with a high level of equipment as standard.
Jaguar’s XE looks great, drive well and handles exceptionally. Alas, the rear quarters and the boot are decidedly cramped. At a price of R619,000, it is expensive, the exchange rate being the main culprit in this instance.
Kia’s Sorento offers good build quality, high levels of specification — save for the optional R20,000 infotainment system with navigation and a larger screen that should be standard in our books — and a great turbo diesel engine. At R691,995 it might seem expensive, but for a seven-seat family SUV with such accoutrements it is acceptable, but the currency exchange rate influences the list price, too.
While the Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 is an overall good car with decent off-road prowess, its interior seems a dated and below par compared to some of its competitors. The engine suffers from turbo lag, but once on the go it is smooth with good power delivery. It also handled many of the exercises with aplomb. At R738,520 it is fairly priced, but is also let down by the exchange rate.
The Mazda2 (R199,900) and the Opel Corsa (R229,400) prove that small can offer a great deal of fun. Both are dynamically sorted with the Corsa having a slight performance advantage due to its turbocharged mill versus the naturally aspirated one in the Mazda. The Mazda has the better interior layout, although the Corsa feels more substantial with better practicality.
In terms of zippy performance and handling, the Opel Adam is superb. Sadly, the interior is on the cramped side, while pricing at R226,500 is close to its more substantial Corsa sibling.
Peugeot’s 308 GT Line is a well-sorted vehicle and a worthy alternative to the VW Golf and Ford Focus. Notwithstanding the obtrusive instrument cluster and steering wheel layout, this is one of the best family hatchbacks available. It has an eager three-pot turbo engine and good quality cabin. At R350,900 it is competitively priced.
The Volvo XC90 has raised the bar in the segment, and while the T6 we drove late last year lacked some engine refinement and low-end torque, this D5 finalist is definitely the one to have. With a superb interior and cabin layout, thrifty drinking habits and agile handling I was impressed by what this Swedish SUV has to offer. At R955,150 the XC90 D5 AWD Inscription is a strong contender.
The winner will be announced on March 8 but we will be reviewing the finalists in a little more detail during the coming weeks.
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The finalists ready to be put through their paces at Gerotek. Pictures: MARK SMYTH, MAPO
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The finalists ready to be put through their paces at Gerotek. Pictures: MARK SMYTH, MAPO
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Technology came to scoring for the first time this year. Pictures: MARK SMYTH, MAPO
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The app provided plenty of very useful information. Pictures: MARK SMYTH, MAPO
NOW in its 31st year, the Wesbank South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) Car of the Year competition was arguably the best represented this year. The competition, which comprised 12 finalists spanning an interesting cross-section of the vehicle spectrum, was judged by 26 jury members, including members of the Motor News team.
Including road driving assessments and various simulated driving conditions at the Gerotek testing facility, west of Pretoria, putting all finalists through their respective paces highlighted various elements of each vehicle.
This year’s finalists are: BMW i3, Citroen C4 Cactus, Ford Fusion, Honda HR-V, Jaguar XE, Kia Sorento, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Mazda2, Opel Adam, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 308 and Volvo XC90. It is an intriguing list that includes no less than three SUVs and two crossovers.
While the competition remains unique in that each contestant is physically put through various exercises by each jury member, this year’s competition also saw a new scoring system as the competition migrated into the digital era. In this instance a tablet-based user interface proved efficient and easy to use. As depicted by the screen grab, the system uses a parameter of scoring criteria ranging from exterior styling to value for money and overall excellence.
The latter remains one of the most important in that each finalist needs to show a level of excellence that is peerless in its segment. Whether it be design, technology, refinement or dynamics, the car in question has to be more than just a cut above the segment, but redefine it.
The BMW i3, which is the second full electric vehicle to be launched in SA after the Nissan Leaf, brings an altogether new element. It is the first electric car locally to be offered with a generator, with the finalist being the range extender version which uses a 600cc bike engine to recharge the batteries on the move. The generator works solely to replenish power and not to drive the wheels.
It is a novel item for SA where most people commute longer distances than, say, in Europe. It is a great system that banishes the range anxiety that is associated with most electric cars.
Packaging is fairly good with good space upfront, although entrance to the rear quarters, even with the rear-hinged doors, is awkward. Boot space is decent, thanks to the clever packaging of the battery pack, which has also yielded decent legroom thanks to the flat floor. At a base price of R611,500 it is not cheap and the vehicle we drove on the test days was priced at R736,500.
Citroen’s C4 Cactus with its quirky French design was a pleasant surprise. Light, nimble and with decent performance from its 1.2, three-cylinder turbo engine, it performed quite admirably. At R320,400 as tested on the day — base price is R314,900 — it is reasonably priced. Build quality, admittedly, could be better but the rest of the package is decidedly good.
The Ford Fusion is yet another great product that deserves to be lauded. It has great styling, acres of passenger and boot space, good tech levels, a lively turbocharged engine and a palatable price of R375,170 as tested — R367,900 base price.
Honda’s HR-V looks the part thanks to its coupe-like styling and a decent interior that is well laid out. Space is good for a small family to cram in its daily paraphernalia. While the engine is reasonably powered, the continuously variable transmission lets the rest of the package down. Pricing at R370,500 is not cheap either, but it comes with a high level of equipment as standard.
Jaguar’s XE looks great, drive well and handles exceptionally. Alas, the rear quarters and the boot are decidedly cramped. At a price of R619,000, it is expensive, the exchange rate being the main culprit in this instance.
Kia’s Sorento offers good build quality, high levels of specification — save for the optional R20,000 infotainment system with navigation and a larger screen that should be standard in our books — and a great turbo diesel engine. At R691,995 it might seem expensive, but for a seven-seat family SUV with such accoutrements it is acceptable, but the currency exchange rate influences the list price, too.
While the Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 is an overall good car with decent off-road prowess, its interior seems a dated and below par compared to some of its competitors. The engine suffers from turbo lag, but once on the go it is smooth with good power delivery. It also handled many of the exercises with aplomb. At R738,520 it is fairly priced, but is also let down by the exchange rate.
The Mazda2 (R199,900) and the Opel Corsa (R229,400) prove that small can offer a great deal of fun. Both are dynamically sorted with the Corsa having a slight performance advantage due to its turbocharged mill versus the naturally aspirated one in the Mazda. The Mazda has the better interior layout, although the Corsa feels more substantial with better practicality.
In terms of zippy performance and handling, the Opel Adam is superb. Sadly, the interior is on the cramped side, while pricing at R226,500 is close to its more substantial Corsa sibling.
Peugeot’s 308 GT Line is a well-sorted vehicle and a worthy alternative to the VW Golf and Ford Focus. Notwithstanding the obtrusive instrument cluster and steering wheel layout, this is one of the best family hatchbacks available. It has an eager three-pot turbo engine and good quality cabin. At R350,900 it is competitively priced.
The Volvo XC90 has raised the bar in the segment, and while the T6 we drove late last year lacked some engine refinement and low-end torque, this D5 finalist is definitely the one to have. With a superb interior and cabin layout, thrifty drinking habits and agile handling I was impressed by what this Swedish SUV has to offer. At R955,150 the XC90 D5 AWD Inscription is a strong contender.
The winner will be announced on March 8 but we will be reviewing the finalists in a little more detail during the coming weeks.
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