2015 Car of The Year Finalist Breakdown


Stuart Johnston is a SAGMJ jury member and shares his thoughts from this year’s competition.

A total of 28 motoring journalists, appointed SAGMJ jury members, gathered on March 4 and 5 to put the 11 finalists for the Wesbank-sponsored 2015 Car of the Year competition through their paces. We used roads in the Muldersdrift area and the Gerotek Testing facility near Hartebeespoort Dam for the stringent back-to-back testing. Here’s my take on what should be the outcome.

For the full weight of the jury decision, you’ll have to wait until March 18th, when the winner will be announced at a Gala Wesbank-hosted event. Incidentally, along with KZN-based Colin Windell, I am one of just two jury members who was on the very first Car Of The Year, also sponsored by Wesbank, in late 1985. So, happy 30th anniversary and all that!

Car of The Year Finalists for 2015

Mercedes-Benz C200 Automatic R477 718

So, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is my choice for car of the Year. Apart from enjoying a very strong styling presence and a technical and feature specification laden with hi-tech ,what does it for me regarding the C-Class is its return to an essence of Mercedes qualities. It has a delicacy, an unobtrusiveness about its efficient operation that was once (but not always these days) a Mercedes luxury-car given. It glides over road surfaces, has very brisk acceleration, a high top speed and yet it is the most-fuel efficient car in its class. And it does all this without really trying!

Toyota Corolla 1.4D Prestige R266 400

The Corolla does its business in much the way the Mercedes does (albeit at a lower level), quietly and efficiently getting the job done. Quite apart from its keen pricing, it is a masterpiece of box-ticking, combining everything that the family man or company representative would want for daily running or long trips. Its super-generous boot size is a case in point, as is its fuel consumption, which will run in the 5.5 L/100 mark in normal driving. And apart from modest diesel power, around the Gerotek handling track it is actually a very wieldy machine that is pleasant to point towards the apex of a corner!

Audi A3 Sedan 1.4T SE Auto R286 500

This car has a beautiful ride, and a super-solid feel. It is a pleasure to drive. It would have scored even higher, but for the fact that in the value for money stakes I think it falls down a tad. For R386 500, I would have expected leather seats, and when you consider you can get its Jetta sibling with a 118kW engine and consequent performance benefits for R50 000 less, it suddenly doesn’t look to be a huge bargain, despite its amazing all-round prowess and chic appearance.

BMW M4 R1 115 592

This was, quite simply, the best car in the competition. Then you look at its price, of over R1.1-miilion, and you realise it darned well should be! If the car had been presented in M3 sedan format, I would have scored it higher, because for me it is a huge step beyond the previous-generation V8 BMW. It has amazing ride quality for the levels of grip and supercar performance. But for my money, too specialised to be an overall contender for COTY.

Porsche Macan S Diesel R862 000

This is a superb sporting SUV, but I disagreed with the choice of model – I felt the petrol V6 version, at just a smidgen more money, and with an extra 70 kW would have made this car a much more wow proposition in the COTY line-up. The problem for the Macan is that, rather unexpectedly, it’s not the no-brainer bargain that its bigger Cayenne once was. Super car, but for similar money you can also get a diesel-engined Audi SQ5 with the 230 kW performance this type of chassis deserves.

Subaru WRX Premium Manual R473 700

We are getting to the level where it pains me to anoint so few points to a car as good as the WRX. But as the COTY rules allow us just 50 points to be spread over all 11 finalists, a way had to be found to allocate more points to my top contenders.

This car is exciting, has wonderful sporting road-holding and it has had a reasonable (but not exceptional) upgrade to the interior. In a way it is Number One in a field of One, as no other car on the market is really specced this way, prioritising engineering excellence above anything else. Pity its hefty fuel consumption ,in the general-running area of around 11 litres/100 km, lets it down.

Renault Duster  1.5 dCI 4WD R267 900

It pained me, again, to award just three points to a car that was the surprise of the competition, thanks to its no-nonsense prowess off road, nimbleness on the skid pan, and its willing diesel engine. Its over-shiny silicone-spray-like finish to the dash doesn’t do it any favours, but its price of R267 900 makes it the second cheapest car here, and it offers loads of practicality to go with its very real rough-dirt acumen. I enjoyed its honesty.

Honda Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive R576 300

Honourable Mention Department One, for a car that is in many ways very good, but doesn’t embody the criterion of excellence in as many areas as possible that the COTY competition is based upon. It has a good ride, lusty performance, a clean and classy cabin plus loads of space. It’s a worthy Merc-BMW-Audi alternative, but it needs to be priced a whole lot cheaper to win more adherents.

Lexus ES 250 EX R471 800

Honourable Mention Department Two, the Lexus 250 is well put together, is crammed with no-cost features you normally pay a bomb for when choosing other cars in this segment. And yet it inspires zero emotion in me, which is a problem I have had with Lexus cars for yonks, apart from its great-grand daddy, the iS200 which was such a strong COTY contender a decade and half ago. This one did everything well, apart from its rather ill-advised gear ratios on the auto box. But for similar money you can have a Merc C-Class.

Citroen C4 Picasso e-Hdi 115 R345 900

Honourable Mention Department Three, the Citroen C4 Picasso was the most odd-ball choice in the competition. It is described as having well-being as its foremost design brief, and I guess the very airy cabin promotes this feeling pretty well. It has plenty of quirky features and two display screens for touch operation and information. Unfortunately, it is pretty pedestrian in its 85 kW guise, which would be okay if it was priced in the R280 000 price bracket, for this kind of moms-run-around-with-style car. But at R345 900 (without the extras fitted to the test vehicles which severely hiked the price) I’m afraid, charming as it is, it was never going to win.

Nissan Qashqai 1.6 DCI Acenta Auto R384 400

I wish that Nissan had pushed for the six-speed Qashqai to be entered, because I feel that the CVT gearbox soured our feelings towards this very good crossover vehicle. It’s not a bad example of a CVT, but there are better around (the Subaru one in the Forester for instance) and Nissan’s six-speeder is a big improvement over the old one. In fact the whole Qashqai has been up-graded, which makes it a worthy COTY finalist! But unfortunately, it didn’t excel for me in any particular area. Not in this exalted company!

New Subaru Outback coming to South Africa

Subaru will introduce a refreshed fifth-generation Outback station wagon /crossover to the South African market this month. The Outback will still be offered with the choice of the proven 2.0-litre turbodiesel and 2.5-litre petrol engines, but will now introduce a new flagship model powered by a 3.6-litre, six-cylinder unit. All engine offerings are mated to Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT transmission and feature Symmetrical All Wheel Drive.

Fresh Features

The new Subaru Outback benefits from a new grille design and lower body mouldings that offer protection when you decide to go off into the rough stuff. The profile of the vehicle has also taken on a more aerodynamic look. Niceties such as an automated tailgate and easily convertible roof rails further improve the practicality of the vehicle.

The interior is expected to be bigger and better too with higher levels of refinement. There’s also a large touchscreen infotainment system that has voice command. The Outback will be offered with features such as Active Torque Vectoring and a host of driving aids via X-Mode.

Subaru Outback Price in South Africa

Pricing for the Subaru Outback will start from about R479 000 and includes a 3-year / 75 000 km maintenance plan.

Expect to see the new Subaru Outback in dealerships nationwide from mid-March 2015.

 

February 2015 Highlights in Numbers – Infographic

Despite February being a short month, many manufacturers took it as an opportunity to launch their latest and greatest models to South Africa. We saw the introduction of the all-electric BMW i3 and its innovative sports car sibling the i8 make a massive entrance. On the smaller side of things a big-hitter on the sales front is likely to be the Volkswagen up! as it makes a good case for itself with splendid build quality and quirky styling.

On the sales front the Toyota Hilux just managed to pip the Ford Ranger to take top spot whilst the VW Polo and Polo Vivo continue to surge ahead at the top of the passenger car sales list.

Check out our infographic below to see all the news and reviews that made waves to our readers.

February 2015 Highlights – Infographic

Infographic february

Mitsubishi Outlander Upgraded For South Africa

Mitsubishi has updated its Outlander SUV for 2015. The new model was introduced into SA in June 2014 and this minor update aims to improve a few technical and mechanical changes.

2015 Outlander 2.4 GLS Exceed upgrades

Visually, the 2015 Outlander has been handed a new upper grille design, a black under-grille area and chrome surrounds for the front fog lamps. Silver roof rails and skid plates are off-set by new black wheel arch garnish.

The updated Outlander has a stowage are under the floor and the large speaker system in the rear has been removed to give larger loading area.

Changes to the CVT have been geared toward reduced fuel consumption although the combined fuel consumption figure remains at 8.2L/100km. Manual override is available for when the driver wants full control of the gearbox. Paddle shifters are also available.

Outlander Specification

Mitsubishi continues to stack loads of equipment into the Outlander, features include Bluetooth, an electric tailgate, a rear-view camera with rear parking sensors, radio/CD/MP3/USB audio system with a touch screen and an on-board entertainment system for rear passengers, leather upholstery, heated front seats, an electric driver’s seat, dual zone automatic air conditioning system, cruise control, automatic lights and rain sensors, an electric glass sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Safety levels remain high, with the Outlander carrying a 5-star Euro NCAP rating thanks to seven airbags, ABS with EBD and BAS, Active Stability Control (ASC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA).

2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Pricing

The new 2015 Outlander 2.4 GLS Exceed retails for R439 900.

Bugatti Veyron La Finale – The Last One


It’s a sad day as the 2015 Geneva Auto Show marks the final Veyron from Bugatti goes on show. Its called the Bugatti Veyron La Finale and represents the ultimate high-performing grand tourer.

The Bugatti Veyron is famous for becoming the world’s fastest car with a top speed of over 430kph, and having the magical figure of 1 000hp (745kW). The car saw a production run of 450 units which have all now found owners. To celebrate this incredible machine, Bugatti’s last Veyron is a special one. It gains a chassis number of 450 and was showcased at the show right next to the very first Bugatti Veyron which came out the factory in Molsheim ten years ago.

“The Bugatti Veyron has shown that our engineers are capable of achieving a previously unimagined level of technical excellence, thereby opening up whole new dimensions in the automotive sector,” says Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “The Veyron is justifiably at the head of the field.”

Bugatti Veyron La Finale Details

The Bugatti Veyron La Finale Grand Sport Vitesse is a monster. It has 1 200hp from its 8-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine. Torque is rated at 1 500 Nm and the 0-100kph sprint is completed in 2.6 seconds. Its top speed comes in at 410kph. “When designing the “La Finale”, the designers sought inspiration from the first Veyron in order to provide a visual conclusion to the success story of this super sports car,” says Bugatti’s chief designer Achim Anscheidt. “Although both vehicles have a black and red colour scheme, chassis numbers one and 450 still have their own individual character which we have identified visually. Ultimately, every Veyron is unique.”

The owner of the Grand Sport Vitesse “La Finale” also had a say in the design of his vehicle and this particular Bugatti showed off an all new technique in the form of red exposed carbon fibre.

Mazda6 Facelift Revealed in Geneva with AWD

The 2015 Mazda6 made its public debut at the Geneva motor show and showcases a minor facelift and technology update. Some markets will also get a new all-wheel drive version.

Mazda6 Details

A new heads-up display has been added to the interior. It helps the driver get the most out of the new tech and infotainment systems. The heads-up display and seven-inch touchscreen are positioned on top of the centre stack, and the rotary commander on the redesigned centre console. As for style, the interior has been improved with newer and more premium materials.

Outside, the 2015 Mazda6 gets full-LED headlights with new lighting signatures front and back as well as a stronger nose, more prominent signature wing and redesigned wheels.

The Mazda6 diesel will also be offered with the company’s new-generation all-wheel drive technology, which features a front-slip detection warning system. The suspension, too, was restructured to smoothen out the road for greater ride comfort, increased stabil­ity and a better initial steering response.

Like the 2015 CX-5, the 2015 Mazda6 features sev­eral new active safety systems. Mazda’s most advanced array of i-ACTIVSENSE protection.

The engines remain the same as the previous version which, you can read about here.

Top Gear Festival to Return to Jhb

After a surprise cancellation of what would have been the 4th Top Gear Festival held in Durban, local organisers have announced that the show will return to Johannesburg on 12 – 14 June. Tickets will be on sale from 20 March.

South Africa’s powerhouse city was the first place outside of the UK to host the show back in 2008. The show will return to that same location, the NorthGate Dome.

The show will be hosted by all three of Top Gear’s reasonably-well dressed presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

James Cooke-Priest, COO of Top Gear Live said “South Africa has always been one of our favourite destinations on the tour not least because they were the first fans outside of the UK to welcome our Top Gear Live show so enthusiastically.

“They return year after year to support us and remain some of the most enthusiastic not to mention the loudest fans we experience worldwide” he continued “We’re delighted to be able to bring Top Gear Live back to the Dome and have been overwhelmed by the support from previous partners, sponsors and ticket holders alike who have also welcomed the news”.

The festival has attracted over half a million South African fans in the last eight years, and organisers have promised to entertain fans with an all new format.

On a personal note, I have attended every Top Gear Festival in South Africa since inception, and the issue is that they have set the bar incredibly high with the Durban Festival. The combination of an in-stadium racetrack, in what is an incredible stadium, coupled with a top-notch street circuit and enormous show grounds, all blessed by Durban’s incredible winter weather is going to be very hard to beat.

Some of the best memories of my career were forged at Durb’s Top Gear Festivals, and I know for a fact that the British team absolutely love coming here. So I am cautiously optimistic that they will be able to pull of something special, within the new constraints.

Ford Ecosport Facelift Shown in Geneva

Ford has announced at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show that there’ll be a number of changes to the next-generation EcoSport.

The Ford EcoSport has been a popular model in South Africa and owners have loved its hatchback characteristics packaged into a little crossover body. Made in India, the cute-looking EcoSport offers practicality, a range of decent engines as well as great value for money.

What’s New for 2015 EcoSport?

For the first time customers will be able to order the Ford EcoSport without a rear-mounted spare wheel. On the interior side, there’s a restyled instrument cluster with chrome surround, light dimming function, and chrome tips for window switches.

The suspension gains a revised rear twist beam, as well as revised spring and damper rates. There’s also a 10mm drop in ride height as well as retuned traction/stability control. Finally, the power steering system has been tweaked. A Winter Pack has also been added and this includes a heated windscreen, heated mirrors and heated front seats.

Noise, vibration and harshness levels have also been addressed and there’s now thicker sound deadening materials in the doors and dashboard, as well as tighter seals around the pedals. Options for the Ford EcoSport now include satnav and a reverse camera.

“Ford EcoSport is already popular with customers in Europe who are looking for a flexible, stylish, and economical compact SUV,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “This range of enhancements – including an EcoSport that is now available without the rear-mounted wheel – makes EcoSport an even more compelling choice as part of our growing SUV range.”

Pictured here is the Ford EcoSport S, which comes with the above mentioned tweaks. It has a distinctive Deep Impact blue colour as well as a black roof and unique 17-inch alloy wheels. To round off this sporty model, there’s also a rear diffuser and privacy glass.

Here’s a list of all the Ford EcoSport enhancements:

The full list of EcoSport enhancements includes:

  • Spare wheel optional, with a tyre mobility kit in place of the spare as the standard offering
  • Colour 4-inch display
  • Charcoal black lower instrument panel, centre console and door boards
  • Partial leather seats standard for Titanium models
  • Significant Noise, Vibration and Harshness reworking via enhanced sound package
  • Significant dynamics upgrade – with revisions to springs, dampers, spring aids, steering gear, rear axle twist beam, Electronic Stability Programme settings and steering assistance profiles
  • Increased torque band in lower gears provides more available grunt  for both EcoBoost and TDCi diesel
  • Instruments can be dimmed, have chrome-surround rings, window-lifter switches have chrome tabs
  • Heated windscreen, heated mirrors, and heated seats available as a combined “Winter Pack” which also adds rear seat ducting at floor level to improve comfort in the rear seat in cold conditions
  • Privacy glass optional
  • The handbrake is relocated to improve accessibility
  • Powertrains are upgraded to EU6.1 emission standard, with the diesel gaining a bit more power.

Koenigsegg Regera Showcased In Geneva

Koenigsegg has officially revealed its Regera megacar which it says is its first car to “operate all body closures completely automatically”.

A luxury Megacar

The Swedish manufacturer further explains that the car was created as a “luxury Megacar alternative to Koenigsegg’s traditional extreme lightweight race-like road cars”.

The Regera name is the Swedish word for “reign” – “a suitable name for a machine that offers a never seen before combination of power, responsiveness and luxury – creating a true Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde persona”.

Under the hood of the megacar is a twin-turbo 5-litre V8 that puts out 808 kW and 1 280 Nm of torque, and is mated to not one, but three different electric drive units which are powered by a 9.27 kWh, 620 Volt battery pack for a total output of “way over 1 118 kW and an incredible torque figure of 2 000 Nm”.

The first of the electric units is a 160kW motor which is attached to the crankshaft generating 300Nm. The two driven rear wheels then get one 180kw 260 Nm motor each. Koenigsegg says this is “the most powerful electrical motor set-up in production car history”. The car has “almost triple as many electric Bhp (522 kW) and over 222 kW more than its closest hybrid rival”.

Koenigsegg Direct Drive

The Regera also features a Koenigsegg Direct Drive Transmission (KDD) which replaces the combustion engines traditional transmission and gives the added benefit of pure EV mode. The system creates direct drive to the rear axle from the combustion engine without the need of multitude gears or other traditional types of variable transmissions. For example when traveling on the highway, the KDD reduces drivetrain losses by over 50%, compared to traditional transmissions or CVTs.

The complete KDD system, including the battery, adds a mere 88kg to the Regera´s weight which stands at 1420 kg, compared to what it would have weighed with a traditional ICE, coupled to a 7 speed DCT transmission instead of the KDD.

In addition, the automaker confirmed that it would take the Regera 2.8 seconds to accelerate from 0-100 km/h, 3.2 seconds from 150-250 km/h and only 20 seconds from 0-400 km/h.

World’s first fully foldable, active, top-mounted rear wing

The Koenigsegg One:1 featured the world’s first top mounted active rear wing, but the Regera has taken it to another level by allowing the wing to fully fold down into the body work enhancing the cars elegance while parking and reducing drag while cruising. The car also features an Akrapovic exhaust system and is the first car in the world that operates all body closures completely automatically. These operations can be controlled from a smartphone, “truly turning the Regera into a transformer”.

The Koenigsegg Regera will be handcrafted in only 80 examples.

Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy Edition Announced

The latest edition on the Renault Clio RS came in for a bit of stick regarding its timidness, hesitant gearbox and clunky shifts. At this year’s Geneva motor show Renaultsport has revealed a renewed version that claims to have fixed all the problems of before.

Renault Clio RS Updates

The Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy is due to go on sale mid-way through 2015 and will offer a number of enhancements including increased power and torque with Stop & Start technology and reduced CO2 emissions. A refined EDC transmission, quicker steering, a lower and stiffer chassis and upgraded tyres make Renault’s hot hatch a more attractive proposition.

  • Maximum power has been increased to 220hp (164 kW) at 6 250rpm (up 15 kW)
  • Maximum torque rises to 260Nm (a gain of 20Nm)
  • ‘Torque Boost’ feature in fourth and fifth gears raises peak torque to 280Nm (a gain of 40Nm)
  • Maximum revs increase from 6 500rpm to 6 800rpm
  • Complying with Euro6 emissions standards, the car’s CO2 output improves by 6g/km to 138g/km.

Refined EDC transmission

Gear shifts are now up to 40 per cent faster in ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes and 50 per cent faster in ‘Race’ mode thanks to software recalibration, with a 30% reduction in steering wheel paddle travel for more immediate changes. Earlier downshifts, for example under heavy braking on track, are permitted by optimised software calibration and the raised rev limiter.

‘Sport’ mode is now more flexible with gearshift change patterns more reactive to current driving style. A Stop & Start system works in ‘Normal’ mode, but is deactivated in ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ modes. The Clio is lower by 20mm at the front, 10mm at the rear. Firmer shock absorbers, and revised springs (40 per cent stiffer at the rear), have been fitted and are coupled to the existing motorsport-derived hydraulic units.

More details will come soon as the car is rolled out towards the middle of 2015.