#CarsAwards judge Juliet McGuire is a regular in front of Cars.co.za's cameras and, with more than a decade of motoring journalism behind her, offers a wealth of experience.
Juliet is a motoring journalist who sarted her career at CAR magazine more than 10 years ago after completing an honours degree in journalism at the University of Stellenbosch. She currently presents for Cars.co.za’s popular Youtube channel and contributes as a motoring expert to Women's Health, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, House & Leisure and Good Housekeeping. Juliet has a motoring slot on Cape Talk with John Maytham every second Monday and was a presenter for Tech Report which aired on ENCA.
Where did your love for cars start? Who were the people and what were the cars that featured in your past and which helped spark the "petrolheadedness"?
Juliet's first automotive love affair was with the Volkswagen Golf VR6.
When I was about 16 I dated a guy who was obsessed with cars. He spent a lot of time taking them apart and putting them back together. His love for car was very infectious. I always had an interest in cars from my Dad, but this was something different, this was passion! Like many South Africans, we loved Volkswagen and especially the Golf VR6. I remember thinking that one day I would own one. I never did buy it (my Dad didn't want me driving such a "fast" car) so I had to 'settle' for the GSX.
What was your first car?
My very first car was a white 1,6 Citi Golf. It went like a bomb!
What do you drive now?
I am lucky enough to not have to own a car due to always having a test car to drive, but the last car I owned was a Volkswagen Polo.
Tell us about your favourite motoring memory?
Juliet at the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Spider. (pic credit CAR magazine)
Being a motoring journalist means I have so many special memories to choose from. But one that stands out for me, and I think its because it was the moment I realised I had made my dream job a reality, was when I was still at CAR magazine. It was just before Hannes Oosthuizen left and as a goodbye we planned a day of driving Ferraris (the California, FF and 458 Spider). I took the 458 Spider along Misty Cliffs here in the Western Cape. The day was perfection and it was the first time I felt my confidence kick into gear. I wish I could have bottled that feeling, it was just pure joy!
You have all the money in the world, what would be in your fantasy 2-car garage?
Audi Q5 for practical reasons, as it is my "every day" sort of car. And then for the fun weekend, coastal drives, the Porsche 911 GT3.
You were a judge in the Compact Hatchback category of the CarsAwards, what do you look for on the day of testing? What in your view makes a good Compact Hatch?
Juliet is a judge in the Compact Hatchback segment, featuring these 3 contenders from Toyota, Renault and Mazda.
This segment is an extremely competitive one and so quite a difficult one to judge. A good compact hatch has to do so many things for so many different people. It needs to look good, it needs to be practical, it needs to be economical and it needs to be affordable. On the testing day, the first thing is to look at the package as a whole and then once in the drivers seat, to put myself in the potential buyer's mindset. I want to feel how comfortable the drive is and how it handles each of the courses. Once I have driven all 3 back-to-back I then look at each package as a whole once again. Finally, I often base my decision on which I would confidently recommend to a family member.
Consumer Specialist Wendy Knowler has been a judge in all 3 iterations of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – Powered by WesBank, thus far. She is as passionate about cars as she is about your rights as a consumer, as you'll shortly see…
Wendy Knowler is one of South Africa’s most authoritative and respected consumer journalists. In her 30-year-plus journalism career, Wendy has covered politics, fashion and just about everything in between on a variety of media platforms. For the past 20-odd years she has specialised in consumer journalism, including writing the In Your Corner column for The Times and presenting a weekly Consumerwatch show for East Coast Radio, as well as doing weekly consumer-related crossings on 702/Cape Talk, Radio 2000 and Voice of the Cape. She’s also had a lifelong love of cars, and spent 15 years test driving and reviewing 4-wheelers of all kinds for several media brands, including Independent Newspapers’ motoring supplement, Fair Lady magazine and East Coast Radio.
Where did your love for cars start? Who were the people and what were the cars that featured in your past and which helped spark the "petrolheadedness”?
On petrolheaded dad's lap in mom's 1964 Mini.
From my earliest memory – father was, and at the age of 90 still is, a petrolhead of note, and he had no sons, so when I as his elder daughter showed an interest at a very young age, he nurtured it. He had a series of performance cars but the one I remember most fondly was his yellow Ford Capri Perana V8.
What was your first car?
It was a 1978 Ford Escort.
What do you drive now?
A 12-year-old Subaru Forester.
Tell us about your favourite motoring memory
The South African launch of the Land Rover Discovery 3 in Namibia ranks as Wendy's favourite motoring memory.
Easy one this. It was 2005, on the South African launch of the Discovery 3 in Namibia. The Land Rover team took us to the famous sand dunes of Sossusvlei. Seven up, including an instructor, we got to put the magnificent machine to the test on those mighty dunes. I remember thinking “whatever I did to get to this moment in this place, I am truly thankful..!”
The most challenging part of the “course”, had us going down one dune then turning to the right and roaring up another, huge one. Two thirds of the journos didn’t make it up the first time, involving some hairy reversing. So it was with sweaty palms that I set off in the driver’s seat when it was my turn. I made it up on my first attempt, to cheers from the back seats. Best driving moment ever.
You have all the money in the world, what would be in your fantasy 2-car garage?
Wendy would love to park the new Tesla Roadster in her garage.
I am hugely into all things “green” so even with all the money in the world, I wouldn’t want a car that’s ridiculously thirsty. Soo… Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE and a Tesla Roadster (you did say fantasy).
You were a judge in the Budget Car category of the CarsAwards, what do you look for on the day of testing. What in your view makes a good Budget Car?
The Budget Car category is always fiercely contested. Wendy has been a judge in this category from the start of #CarsAwards.
Apart from price, naturally, I’d say the best safety features your money can buy – I admire manufacturers which put these unseen, unsexy features (especially traction/stability control) into cars in this most price sensitive of categories; fuel economy and a relatively decent-sized boot (just because you can’t afford a more expensive car, doesn’t mean you don’t have stuff to transport).
The only thing I’d like to add is I wish everyone about to buy a new car could put their top two or three choices through their paces, one after the other, at Gerotek, as we judges get to do. Sadly most base their choice on looks and price.
Volkswagen Polo (2018) International Launch Review
The 6th-generation Polo, which will be launched in South Africa at the end of January 2018, is bigger and more refined than ever before. But how does it fare compared with the latest Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio? Cars.co.za contributor Greg Kable recently drove the newcomer in Hamburg, Germany, and shares his thoughts…
This Polo represents a big break from its predecessor. It has been conceived and developed anew from the ground up in a design and engineering programme with several other products in the group and production of the newcomer has already begun at Volkswagen South Africa's Uitenhage assembly plant (initially for the European market only).
Based on the latest generation of the German manufacturer's MQB platform architecture, specially adapted for the compact car class, the new Polo has grown significantly: it is 4 053 mm long, 1 751 mm wide and 1 446 mm high. That makes it 81 mm longer, 63 mm wider and 7 mm lower than its predecessor. It has a wheelbase of 2 564 mm, 92 mm longer than the previous model, while the track widths are up by 62 mm at the front (to 1 525 mm) and 49 mm at the rear (to 1 505 mm), giving it a considerably larger footprint.
The dimensions of the new Polo make the newcomer much larger than its predecessor.
Many, many engine choices
Depending on the markets in which the cars are offered, buyers will have a choice of up to 6 engines in the launch line-up – the most powerful of which is the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit in the Polo GTI, which will enter production next year with 147 kW, which matches the Ford Fiesta ST, and a peak torque output of 320 N.m from1 500 to 4 400 rpm.
Lots of different engine power outputs will be available from a 1.0-littre naturally aspirated or turbocharged petrol unit. There's a 1.5 turbodiesel in the range too.
The initial line-up comes with the choice of two naturally aspirated 1.0-litre multi-point fuel-injected 3-cylinder petrol engines, with 48 kW or 55 kW. The sweet spot in the range, though, is the new turbocharged 1.0-litre direct-injected 3-cylinder petrol unit, which serves up 70 kW or, as tested here, 84 kW in the 1.0 TSI.
There are also derivatives running Volkswagen’s new 110 kW turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine (officials hint that it will likely come in 95 kW guise at a later date) and a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel unit with an SCR filter, offering either 65 or 70 kW. The engines are mated to either a 5- or 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed dual clutch automatic 'box.
What's it like?
Grown up – that description applies well to the new Polo. As well as gaining in size, it has improved in other areas, not least refinement, which is now very much the best in its class. Upcoming comparison tests will reveal if the car can top rivals such as the latest Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Nissan Micra for overall competency but, in isolation, it is a very convincing package that will appeal to a wide range of buyers.
Expect the new Polo to topple all in the segment in upcoming comparisons. It's that good.
It is a smart and thoroughly modern-looking car, with interesting proportions, crisp lines and a confident stance. The key exterior design feature is a double swage line that provides the flanks with a more defined shoulder line. The body is constructed to a level of quality that shames many compact car rivals, with thin panel gaps, well-integrated features and exacting tolerances. You expect this level of fit and finish in the premium car ranks, but it is not a given at this end of the market.
Inside, it delivers a nice balance between customary Volkswagen control simplicity and youthful design flare, with a contemporary-looking cabin dominated by a rather high-mounted dashboard. Available with a wide range of different trim elements and eight colour combinations, it features familiar analogue instruments and a 6.5-inch touchscreen as standard. VW’s 11.7-inch Active Info Display digital instrument system is available as an option, along with an 8.0-inch touchscreen.
The dashboard materials, in the top section at least, are soft to touch, with expensive-looking texturing. The seats offer a wide range of adjustment and are supportive with firm cushioning and good side support. Drawing on technology already introduced on the Golf, the new Polo comes with VW’s Front Assist, City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring systems, a tyre pressure monitoring function and a hill holder function as standard.
Equipped with a lot of optional extras the new Polo's interior can match cars from segments above for style and technology.
Overall vision is less impressive, hampered by the relatively heavy rake of the windscreen and prominent surround of the instrument binnacle. That leaves a surprisingly narrow line of sight from the driver’s seat. The overall interior quality is also spoilt by some rather hard plastic surfaces, especially between the front seats within the centre console.
Separating from Golf
For a car billed as being conceived for the digital age, the lack of a USB port as standard in any of the three specification lines is a major oversight. Model hierarchy plays a role here, of course: too much equipment would push the Polo too close to the Golf, so Wolfsburg has consciously dumbed it down to keep a respectable distance from its larger sibling – while also making it more profitable.
The increase in external dimensions means there’s a greater feeling of space up front; the generous width of the footwells, improved shoulder room and excellent headroom being particular strong points. Accommodation in the rear has also increased, although with a higher waistline and shallower rear window you feel a little more enclosed than before. The Polo can accommodate five at a pinch, though VW admits it has been conceived more for four. It also offers a significant 71-litres more luggage space than its predecessor, at 351-litres.
How does it drive?
The maturity evident in other areas is manifested in excellent on-road qualities. Delivering 84 kW at 5 000 rpm, the 1.0 TSI is nippy in nature, delivering determined acceleration on a loaded throttle in lower ratios. There is a hint of low-end turbocharger lag off the line, although the interruption is only fleeting. Once spinning freely, the new engine is smooth and willing through the gears. With 175 Nm on tap from 2 000 rpm through to 3 500 rpm, it also boasts a nice flexible nature that sees it pull taller gear at low revs out on the open road without too much fuss. The suppression of engine noise and vibration is vastly improved over the old Polo.
It's still not the most fun hatch in the segment but the ride refinement is excellent for a B-segment hatch.
The standard 6-speed manual gearbox is light and easy to operate, although it is notchy and has a tendency to resist when rushed through the gates. The optional 7-speed dual clutch (DSG) unit provides automatic shifting, but is sometimes a little hesitant on downshifts. Volkswagen claims a 0-100 kph time of 10.8 sec and 186 kph top speed.
The adoption of the MQB platform has brought a significant increase in rigidity and stiffness over the old Polo. Volkswagen says stiffness has increased from 14 000 Nm per degree to more than 18 000 Nm per degree. The result is a supple and superbly controlled ride. Even on badly pitted bitumen with the optional 17-inch alloy wheels and 215/45 profile tyres worn by our test car, it proved outstanding. The combination of superb damping control and fine absorption qualities bring a new-found calmness to the chassis, making for relaxed traits, both around town and on extended motorway runs.
Light and precise electric power steering makes the new Polo impressively manoeuvrable in tight spaces and it feels right at home in city traffic. Dynamically, it is a clear improvement on the earlier Polo, thanks to the inherent qualities of its new platform and a reworked suspension featuring MacPherson struts up front and a thoroughly revised torsion beam arrangement at the rear. Compared with some rivals, though, it lacks the intrinsic character to make its handling truly entertaining.
The wider stance helps it grip better in the corners and prevent it from leaning over as much.
The wider tracks help the front wheels grip well, resisting the urge to push on even when hustled through a series of constant radius bends. The body movements are also nicely controlled, with progressive but never overwhelming lean. It achieves most of what you ask of it with unwavering efficiency, but it is, sadly, without great charisma.
Should wait to buy one?
The new Polo is a very good car, although not without its faults. Its styling is more expressive, the interior feels more upmarket and its increased dimensions make it more practical and accommodating. It also drives extremely well in combination with the 84 kW turbocharged 1.0-litre 3-cylinder, delivering a quiet and absorbent ride, with direct and precise handling traits.
It’s also a thoroughly well-built car with outstanding quality and the sort of finish to match any rival hatchback. In many aspects, it feels like a smaller Golf – very much a compliment for a car aiming to rise above the Fiesta, Clio, (Nissan) Micra, (Kia) Rio and (Opel) Corsa. You can detect the odd cost-cutting measure, most notably within the interior, although they are largely outweighed by the overall competence of the new Polo.
On the strength of what we’ve seen so far, the new Polo is surely set to continue the success of its previous generations.
Expect this new model to continue its streak as a top seller in South Africa and globally.
With the arrival of Mercedes-Benz's X-Class, the double-cab bakkie well and truly encroaches on the premium segment. What does this mean for a luxury brand like BMW? Could the Bavarian company be pondering the production of a double-cab, or like Mercedes-Benz, in partnership with an established player in the market?
A genuine, showroom-bound BMW bakkie? It’s a bad joke, right? BMW builds dynamic, sporty cars that carry families not utility vehicles stuffed with lawn mowers and weeds. Just how did we go from sheer driving pleasure to a trip to the dump with a set of shears? Look no further than arch-rival Mercedes-Benz and its new X-Class pickup, for if the three-pointed star manages to conjure credible sales success from a tarted- and trinketed-up Nissan then the Bavarian carmaker will have no choice but to develop a bakkie of its own.
Is the X-Class a real Merc or, as some have put it, just a Navara in mascara?
Do you want to know why there’s a Mercedes-Benz pickup in the first place? Ah, that’s highly likely to be Germany’s fault. It was the Germans who invented motorised carriages, it was the Germans who first democratised the automobile with the Beetle and it was the Germans who, while most other makers focused on delivering practical, pragmatic, value-for-money vehicles to the masses, then got busy with the luxurification of the automobile in its ever-increasing number of guises. With a seemingly insatiable desire to dominate, regardless of how controversial, they began to rub a premium polish onto every conceivable genre from the previously humble hatchback to the mud-plugging off-roader.
That’s why the last bastion of all-purpose pragmatism and darling of the working class, the double-cab pickup, has been targeted for assimilation. First came the (Volkswagen) Amarok, which tore up the traditional guidelines for bakkie cabin design, physical dimensions and mechanical refinement. Overnight, Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Isuzu were forced to think bigger, bolder and costlier with their Hilux, Ranger, Navara and KB/D-MAX. Then, industry rumours of a Mercedes-Benz pick-up materialised into the X-Class, a bolder, costlier reimagining of the latest, (larger) Nissan Navara. Volkswagen isn’t about to take its foot off the gas either, its next-gen Amarok will be more Touareg-with-load bay in terms of interior sophistication and exterior design (see an artist's impression below).
A recent rendering of the next Volkswagen Amarok suggests it will be more SUV-like to drive than utilitarian.
And the disease is spreading – even blue-collar Ford believes its range-topping Wildtrak isn’t bold enough or expensive enough, ergo the imminent introduction of the Raptor. Expect proper performance and genuine ability, but also expect them to be bought and used by posers – reflections of lifestyles that no longer fit with the original double cab ethos of a weekday workhorse, weekend family activity companion. Double-cabs should be affordable, reliable, tough, unassuming utility vehicles that ferry sandy, wet kids and dogs from the beach, carry garden refuse to the dump and tow trailers to remote getaway spots.
The idea of a luxury-brand, million-rand pickup seems foreign and far beyond the financial reach of the double cab bakkie’s traditional fan base. Yes that is the point, to mushroom the market upwards where the profits are, but the effect it will have on prices across the pickup world will be felt in the pockets of the people who need rather than merely desire double-cab bakkies.
Ford has already said it's building a Raptor version of the Ranger, could it look like this?
No matter the marketing spin, the reality is these so-called premium pickups will trade more on badge snobbery than any technical superiority or engineering innovation. As for their design, the X-Class is shackled to the Navara’s hardpoints in ways that cannot be hidden. Its blinged-up brashness may convince the image-conscious, but it’s probably not fooling Hilux man. Who works construction in a suit, anyway?
Given Mercedes-Benz’s almost instant reaction to BMW’s genre-busting X6 and X4, it is easy to imagine the Bavarian company's response to the X-Class – considering talk of a JV with Chinese giant GWM – might be a kidney-grilled, Hofmeister-kinked rebody of a Steed 7? A number of Australian publications quoted BMW executive Hendrik von Kuenheim as saying (at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show) that BMW would certainly consider building a pick-up, but if it did put a double cab into production, it wouldn't be as "disappointing" as the Benz (he criticised the X-Class' interior finishes). Shots fired, as they say.
What will that Bimmer bakkie look like? Who knows, but Korean designer Taekang Lee’s BMW pickup concept pictured atop this article provides one answer. Think steroidal exaggeration of every traditional BMW style cue – cartoon kidneys smashed between ultra-mean headlights and an overly stylised bumper capping off a body too muscle-bound to be of much practical use. Too much? Have you seen the brand’s latest X7 concept? If anything, Mr Lee didn’t go far enough…
#CarsRaceDay Hillclimb Shootout [Complete Video Series]
In one of our most ambitious video projects yet, we worked with the city of Cape Town to close an incredible road in the farmlands beyond the Mother City. It's always been one of our favourite pieces of tarmac to test cars and now we had it all to ourselves. Next, we lined up 8 high-performance cars, fired up our very own race-ace Ashley Oldfield to drive them and staged 3 races, followed by his final, white-knuckled ascent up the hill in the McLaren 570S and then, we rank the octet of driver's cars from worst to best.
Race 1: Fiesta ST200 vs Renault Clio RS200 Lux
The Fiesta ST200 is the most powerful official version of the current generation Fiesta that we'll receive in South Africa; sadly the popular Mountune version is not available in SA. It's a properly fun little rocket and it has the perfect rival in the Renault Clio RS200 Lux. Both cars have exactly the same power output, at 147 kW, and both cars weigh almost exactly the same, tipping the scales at 1 170 kg and 1 172 kg respectively. These were to be our first two runs of the day and it gave Ashley the chance to get to grips with our private racetrack before he brought the big guns out later in the day.
The new Volkswagen Golf 7.5 GTI features a small power upgrade to 169 kW and a few exterior tweaks to the bumpers and lights. The inside has been revamped to feel more premium and it exudes a sense of luxury that's hard to match. We hadn't brought it to the hill to look at it though, we wanted to see how fast it could get to the top of our course. Its rival, the Toyota 86 is seemingly on a hiding to nothing – it can't match the GTI for power and lack more than 150 Nm of torque, which is a critical disadvantage when catapulting up a hill. However, it's arguably more fun to drive and represents what you could get yourself for R50k less than a GTI. Watch the battle:
Race 3: Aston Martin Vantage N430 vs BMW M240i vs Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport
Then things got a lot more serious… In a battle of 3 pukka rear-driven sportscars, we have the outsider in the form of the BMW M240i with M Performance Parts, the bad boy Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport with its crackling exhaust pipes and jaw-dropping looks and, finally, an old-timer is back in the form of the Aston Martin N430 – an enhanced (again) Vantage with a V8 growl that should give you instant gooseflesh. Who will be fastest on the up-and-down hillclimb? The result was a lot closer than we expected…
The finale: We choose our best driver's car + McLaren 570S sets a time
In the not-to-be-missed last video of the series, we review the lap-time leaderboard and Ashley reveals, in ascending order, his favourite driver’s cars out of the ones he spurred up the hill. Then, he gathers all of his (considerable) driving skill to set a blistering time in the McLaren 570S, which promptly proves why supercars are in another league to fast road cars. The inaugural #CarsRaceDay has set a high benchmark for a follow-up event; what exotic machinery could we rustle up for the next one?
3 Reasons Why Land Rover Discovery is #CarsAwards Finalist
What makes the Land Rover Discovery HSE TD6 a worthy contender in the Premium SUV category of the 2017/18 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank? We investigate…
The new Discovery was introduced just in time to meet this year’s #CarsAwards deadline and it appears to have been worth the wait. The ‘Disco’ has always tried to market itself as a premium off-roader that can do it all. This new model brings Land Rover’s off-road capability and prowess but combines it with better-than-ever on-road manners. Can the Discovery conquer all to secure the win this category?
3 Reasons Why Land Rover Discovery is #CarsAwards Finalist
1. Smooth power delivery
A beefy 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel sits under the long bonnet of the Discovery. It appears to have been configured to deliver smooth and linear acceleration that enhances the consummate ease in which the Disco makes its way over any terrain. The engine pumps out 190 kW and 600 Nm of torque and there’s an 8-speed automatic gearbox that works at making sure the V6 is always in the sweet spot of the rev range, ready to deliver acceleration when called on. Land Rover claims an average fuel consumption figure of 7.8 L/100km.
2. Luxury and convenience galore
The Discovery exudes luxury and sophistication, you sit high up, overlooking most road users, cocooned in leather and soft touch materials. The interior of the new Disco has taken a big step in meeting modern connectivity requirements so there are USB ports that can be installed in every row of seats and if you select the option, you can fold all the seats down via the infotainment screen.
Making life as easy as possible seems to be the Discovery’s motto as it features luxuries like an electric towbar with reverse towing guidance, a 360-degree camera helps you manoeuvre the big beast into any spot and the individual cameras can be selected to help avoid or line up obstacles. There is not much this Discovery can’t do…
3. Impeccable road manners
The Discovery prioritises comfort above all else and the new model takes ride comfort to an all new level. Air suspension is standard on all but the S models and it’s the biggest upgrade to the new model’s ride. Whether it’s tarmac, washboard gravel or a rocky riverbed, the Disco covers the terrain in a level of comfort that’s unmatched by fellow off-roaders. The new Disco is expensive, but you are able to squeeze out reasonable specification with this HSE trim model.
Watch #CarsAwards judge, Juliet McGuire, review the Land Rover Discovery in the video below!
Have Your Say: Complete our survey!
Do you own a Discovery? We would love to hear from you! Tell us about your experience by completing our Ownership Satisfaction Survey. Your input counts for 50% of the final result.
In Part 2 of this mega head-to-head shootout, we head to the full circle for a hot lap race between these two very special cars.
The Bimmer is certainly the underdog here, with less power but less weight. And while the Mercedes Benz battled to get off the line in the drag race, it's huge power will certainly help it here at the Killarney circuit, a track which does favour more horsepower, given the two very long straights and fast, sweeping corners.
Watch the drag race here:
Notes on our track test:
– Track test conducted at sea level
– Ambient temperature: 38 degrees Celcius (it was crushingly hot that day!)
– Circuit length: 2.7km
– Fuel: 95 Octane unleaded
– Tyres: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (both cars, more wear on the BMW)
What makes the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro a worthy contender in the Premium SUV category of the 2017/18 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank? We investigate…
Audi took its time to get the second-generation Q7 just right. Based on our experience thus far, it’s certainly upped the ante in terms of important factors such as refinement and ride comfort. There are few cars, if any, in this category that deliver premium, luxury motoring with such efficiency and ease. Will the Q7 go all the way to secure a victory in this category?
3 Reasons Why Audi Q7 is #CarsAwards Finalist
1. Refined and efficient performance
Based on the Volkswagen Group’s new MLB-Evo platform, the Q7 is more than 300 kg lighter than its predecessor. You can feel it almost immediately. The lower weight, power delivery characteristics, Quattro all-wheel drive and slick 8-speed automatic transmission combine to deliver a very refined driving experience. The Q7’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine delivers a strong 183 kW and 600 Nm of torque, so even when fully loaded it can deliver excellent overtaking power when needed.
With less weight to lug around and efficiency improvements, the Q7’s engine is also impressively economical, with a claimed figure of 6.3L/100km being very reasonable indeed.
2. Top-notch luxury features
The Q7’s interior design is to be praised and in many ways its luxury stems from its refinement, not its features. Nevertheless, you do get most of the features you need as standard, including cruise control, navigation, auto wipers/lights, leather upholstery and even gearshift paddles.
You do have to pay extra for the “nice-to-haves”, however. Notable optional features include 4-zone climate control, Heads-Up-Display (HUD) system, a Bose sound system or, if you must, a Bang & Olufsen system. You can also treat yourself to optional memory function and heating for the seats.
3. Practical and spacious
The new Q7’s cabin is not just pretty to look at, but also very comfortable to sit in. Granted, you pay extra for options that include electrically adjustable sports front seats, Alcantara leather and a huge panoramic sunroof, but even so, we were mighty impressed with the interior. For one, it is notably better packaged than before. It offers more space throughout the cabin than its bigger forebear. Legroom in the second row is particularly generous, and though third-row seating is a offered as an option, Audi claims it’s bigger back there too. The load bay is claimed to hold 890 litres, which is commodious indeed.
Rear seat passengers have access to two 12V power points, ventilation outlets and the backrests of the seats offer a reclining function, too.
Have Your Say: Complete our survey!
Do you own a Q7? We would love to hear from you! Tell us about your experience by completing our Ownership Satisfaction Survey. Your input counts for 50% of the final result.
Photos of the next generation Hyundai H1 bus have emerged on the Internet, thanks to a Dutch website. Check out what we know so far.
The Hyundai H1 has proven popular in our market thanks to its versatility. It was available in numerous flavours: a passenger bus, a commercial van and a blend of the two, with the Multicab. It has also been a winner with the ride-sharing application Uber, who use it for UberXL. The Hyundai H1 has been around for some time now and is overdue for an update.
Thanks to Dutch website AutoWeek.nl, pictures of what looks like a substantially revised Hyundai H1, or as its called overseas, the Grand Starex, have emerged. The big changes are visually at the front and the design language used brings it more in line with the rest of Hyundai's portfolio. Claims that it will be available in nine, eleven and twelve-seater application have yet to be verified, but it's certain it'll still be the practical champion that we've come to know and love. Under the hood, the engine is expected to remain unchanged. From the driver's seat, you can see the instrument cluster and entire dashboard have been overhauled in favour of a more modern look.
Occasionally, the planets align, racetracks suddenly become available, two very special cars are in good working order and haven't been binned by other journalists, and your in-house racing driver isn't in another country. All of which enabled us to set up the head-to-head of the year.
In Part 1 of this rather epic day at the track, we lined up the Mercedes-AMG GTR against the ultra-rare BMW M4 DTM for a quarter-mile drag race.
Look out for Part 2 launching on the channel soon, where we head to the full Killarney circuit for a hot lap shootout.
Some notes on our drag racing facility:
– The strip is actually the main straight of the Killarney race circuit.
– It is slightly uphill.
– The surface around the launch area is heavily used on drag days and loads of rubber has been put down over the years.
– This rubber doesn't help unless it's been nicely warmed up – which in this case it certainly wasn't.
– Due to time restrictions, the cars ran once and we didn't have much time to get heat into the tyres
– Fuel in South Africa is generally quite rubbish and we were running the cars on 95 Octane.
