Wesbank COTY 2018. Car of the year, Part 1 of 3

Hot off the press, the Wesbank COTY nominees have been announced. We check-in with all of them in no particular order in our three-part series and note the pros and cons of each car based on our experiences of these vehicles.

Land Rover Discovery

The Disco 5, or All New discovery is as much of a leap as it is an evolution. Boasting almost half a ton less weight and off-road tech like no other, you get all the comfort of a Range Rover without paying the premium. Some Jaguar bits have made it into the cabin and that’s not a bad thing either. No autonomous technology and previous gen engines could count against it,  but other than that, for a premium SUV with genuine go anywhere abilities, considering that Land Rover hasn’t ever won Wesbank COTY, could this be the year that Coventry finally takes the cup home?

Volvo S90

2016 saw the sensational and deserving XC90 take victory.  With the S90 being so similar to the XC90, it would come as no surprise if it won, or lost. Is a previous win an advantage or not?

The in-car audio alone is enough to place it near the top of the pile. S90 has good dynamics, is drop-dead gorgeous in R-Design trim and has an interior that easily puts the Germans to shame. Some say the 2.0 engine doesn’t deliver the creamy, effortless performance of its rivals and for better or worse, S90 is situated in a segment that does not appeal to the masses.

So it doesn’t possess the same generational following as a BMW 5 series or Mercedes E Class but if individualism is a key criteria, Volvo, once more, is in it with a chance.

Suzuki Ignis

Having won multiple awards of late, Suzuki is on a streak and they hope to continue that streak with the cheeky Ignis. The city car weighs just 850kg and thanks to the free-revving 1.2 61kW engine, has relatively good performance. Ignis is small enough to scoot around town but chunky enough to be respected whilst doing so.

Frugal fuel use and starting at under R170 000 it’s a sensible option that holds mass appeal.The only bugbear is the overly light steering that works great in town but lacks feel at times.

Stay tuned for part 2 of our Wesbank COTY nominee check-in.