The top ten cars eligible for the 2016 South African Car of the Year title were announced today. A 28-strong jury panel selected from various respected publications whittled down 35 eligible cars with the winner to be revealed on the 15th of March 2017.
SA Car Fan is on the jury and this is our initial evaluation and prediction. The BMW 7-Series or Mercedes E-Class should have made this list…
Audi A4
Minor cosmetic changes might count against the new Audi A4 but you quickly appreciate the supple ride and unobtrusive cabin ambience. Mated to efficient turbo engines and seamless gearboxes Audi A4 is clinical and hard to fault. But sedans haven’t won the competition since the Hyundai Elantra (2012) and it’s probably a little too bland to stick out from the crowd.
Honda Civic
Turbo power has rejuvenated the Honda nameplate and the 1.5-litre engine is peppy and light on fuel. With Honda Accord no longer on sale, the Civic’s proportions have to bridge two segments and it achieves this aplomb. Styling is sharp and radical but although cabin materials are better than before, Civic can’t match the technology and visual precision of the Germans.
Hyundai Tucson
If points were weighted towards style, the Hyundai Tucson would wipe the floor with the competition. Tucson doesn’t score badly on innovation either with a dual clutch gearbox and 1.6-litre turbo engine but the price affronts Hyundai’s usual value proposition and interactivity geared towards younger buyers, ranks low.
Jaguar F-Pace
The first SUV, the first waterproof key and a bigger interior than main rivals from Porsche. This aluminium-skinned popstar of tarmac and gravel comes with either insipid engines or sensationally bubbly supercharged ones. With Macan a previous winner, expect the better looking and roomier F-Pace to score well.
Mazda CX-3
Last year the Mazda2 was our personal winner so the slightly larger and taller CX-3 has sharpened the pencil for 2017. Mechanically similar, CX-3 offers exceptional build quality, premium materials and fresh styling but it’s not as cleverly packaged as rivals; the cabin is cramped and the boot is actually smaller than the Mazda2.
Opel Astra
A hot pick to win this year’s competition and probably the car that will silence the competition’s naysayers forever harping on about price. A rigorous diet has imbued the Astra with athletic performance and handling but its main strength is the list of equipment which can include blind spot monitoring, LED active headlights, Traffic Sign Detection and Lane Departure Warning. Winning COTY will be a fitting reward for the brand’s revival.
Renault Kadjar
With the Hyundai Tucson in its crosshairs, Kadjar probably falls short as a game changer of any generous description but an SUV of its size and price can never be discounted. Renault hasn’t won the competition since 2004 with the Megane and they’ll need to get the engine choice right if they want to rectify that.
Toyota Fortuner
Fussy styling aside the original bakkie-cum-SUV has ironed out many of those harsh ride characteristics and blocky cabin features. The only seven-seater in the competition has already gained a small victory by knocking out Ford Everest. Good pricing combined with new downsized, yet higher output engines, and genuine off-road credentials continues Fortuner’s wide appeal.
Volkswagen Passat
We expected either Audi A4 or Volkswagen Passat but Gerotek will be the only way of splitting these two. The Passat is cheaper and sleeker, it copies many of the driver and infotainment systems but like the Audi plays in a diminishing segment ruled by BMW and Mercedes. Last time Audi and Volkswagen entered similar cars was for Car of the Year was in 2015 with the A3 and Golf – Volkswagen won that battle.
Volkswagen Tiguan
The Tiguan is more Touareg than Passat but ultimately the execution is spot on. Between Passat and Tiguan, Volkswagen is in prime position to flank the competition from both angles. Based on MQB, Tiguan possesses all the benefits of scalable architecture from dynamics to interior flexibility. If Astra doesn’t win it, this will be the car that pips it to the post and deservedly so.
