The pioneer saloon!
Peugeot 508 gives shot in the arm for threatened segment
THE big stories of the year were the continuing dominance of imports in the market at the expense of new car sales, the rollout of even more new hybrids and fully electric cars, and Toyota’s decision to abandon diesel altogether in its most popular passenger models.
Whether we like it or not, the way we drive is about to change forever, and the biggest challenge facing government is how to manage that change, not least by upping its game in massively augmenting the public charging network. Without significant deviation from the main road, there are just two high-speed chargers on the M11 between my house in north Wexford and south Dublin and that, frankly is ridiculous.
For most who want to get ahead of the game, hybrids and full EVs with extended range will be the cars of choice, and to that end, Ford finally introduced its hybrid Mondeo here, five years after its launch in the United States (where it’s sold as the Fusion). Sister companies KIA and Hyundai claimed over 400km range on a single charge in the eNiro and Kona EV; I drove the former in the south of France, and have no reason to dispute the figures.
So what else did I like? The Volvo XC40 is an impressive compact crossover and was voted Irish Car of the Year 2019, in association with Continental tyres; I liked it a lot but I wouldn’t have gone that far.
SEAT’s Arona is a fine small crossover that I especially liked in the 1.0-litre version, and Skoda’s Karoq made for a terrific junior partner to my Car of the Year last year, the seven-seater Kodiaq. The best of the big SUVs in the mass market was the Volkswagen Touareg, which I loved – sometimes, these things are just an emotional response, but it really felt like a fully formed car in every way, with an especially attractive cabin and the best infotainment system in any mass-market vehicle that also bettered many in the premium segment too. It’s expensive, with an entry-level price of €65,395, but every cent is on show. I also liked VW’s Tiguan Allspace, a seven-seat version of the standard Tiguan that would suit bigger families.
Sticking with crossovers, Dacia’s updated Duster ticked a lot of boxes in the styling department, though its three-star score (out of five) in the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP) remains worrying. Mind you, it still beats the zero stars awarded to the latest FIAT Panda, which is just staggering in this day and age. Whatever is going on in FIAT Chrysler needs to be sorted out – the Punto got zero stars last year, and the Jeep Wrangler just one.
In the performance car stakes, three stood out. Ford’s Fiesta ST is a little belter, the pocket rocket to beat them all, while a road trip in Northern Ireland proved why the Audi RS3, all 400hp of it, offers the most thrills of any car its size. Moving up the food chain, the new BMW M5 is a scorcher, with a 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo engine pumping out 600hp for a 0-100km/h sprint of just 3.4 seconds. Every minute in that car was a joy, as you might expect given that my test model came in at a cool €196,850.
It was a good year for BMW – the i8 Roadster is a gorgeous convertible, while the new X5, which I test drove earlier this month in Goodwood in England, has genuine off-road chops.
There were fine cars from all the premium brands. The A7 is an old favourite, and still the car I would buy for myself if I had the money, and the latest version has lost none of the magic. The new A6 is the perfect executive car, while the Q8 redefines luxury in the whoppingly big SUV stakes.
MERCEDES-BENZ scored with four cars – the new EClass, A-Class, C-Class and CLS, all of them as good as anything in their segments. Stuttgart is back with a bang, and no longer tipping its cap to Munich.
The biggest head-turner, though, was the Lexus LC500, which somehow managed to make bling attractive. The low profile and gorgeous grille proved to be showstoppers, and I can’t tell you how many times I caught other drivers taking photos of it when I looked in the rear-view or side mirrors.
In the C segment, the new Ford Focus continued its distinguished record, and I really liked the new Honda Civic, which still has the only continuous variable transmission I actually rate. The biggest surprise was the KIA Ceed (they finally dropped the stupid apostrophe), which is elegant and energetic.
My favourite carmaker of the year was Mazda. I drove the new MX-5 on the incredible Transfagarasan road in Romania, and was reminded why I love driving; it’s the nearest you’ll ever get to an adult go-kart. The CX-3 is a fine crossover, and the Mazda6 remains one of the most beautiful saloons of the modern era.
An honourable mention also goes to the Citroën C5 Aircross, which proved its mettle on a winding drive through Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.
So, to the main business of the day – my Car of the Year.
In third place is the BMW M5, because there always has to be a slot for a dream car you can’t afford.
The runner-up is the Touareg, the best large SUV/crossover in the mass market.
And my Car of the Year for 2019? Well, the family saloon is the segment most threatened by the dominance of SUVs and crossovers, so I admire the bravery of a carmaker that gives it one last glorious shot. After driving it in France before its Irish launch early in 2019, I wrote: ‘Gone is the traditional saloon look, and in its place comes a coupé-style fastback design with a longer bonnet, and a more streamlined cabin. Throw in the best designed rear end of any saloon I can remember, and a chequerboard grille up front, and it is little short of miraculous, a truly beautiful car.’
In the 1.6-litre 225hp version, it also drives like a dream, and that is why my Car of the Year for 2019 is the truly delightful Peugeot 508.