The countdown begins
The annual SAGMJ/Wesbank Car of the Year competition is imminent and we begin our look at the finalists, writes Lerato Matebese
AS THE 2015 SA Guild of Motoring Journalists / Wesbank Car of the Year test days early next month draw closer, we will take a closer look at the finalists over the next few weeks and offer our opinion of each entrant, ahead of the actual testing. A jury consisting of 28 judges will put the 11 vehicles through their respective paces at the Gerotek testing facility, outside Pretoria.
In alphabetical order, this year’s list comprises: Audi A3 sedan 1.4 TFSI, BMW M4, Citroen C4 Picasso, Honda Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive, MercedesBenz C200 automatic, Nissan Qashqai 1.6dCi Acenta automatic, Porsche Macan S diesel, Renault Duster 1.5dCi Dyna- mique 4WD, Subaru WRX Premium, and Toyota Corolla 1.4 D4 D Prestige.
This week we look at the Audi A3, BMW M4, and the Citroen C4 Picasso.
Audi’s A3 sedan is, in my view, one of the best looking sedans currently on the market. It exudes a coolness one would not normally associate with a vehicle of its genre and is a practical choice for those buyers looking for a compact, premium family car. It is powered in this instance by a 1.4l TFSI engine making 90kW and 200Nm with a slick-shifting dual clutch automatic transmission. It offers decent performance, exemplary refinement, and thrifty drinking habits. Class-leading cabin appointments are the company’s forte, and the A3 is no exception. While it is essentially a derivative of the A3 range, it does bring something fresh to the segment, but whether it has enough clout to see off the competition remains to be seen.
The BMW M4 is essentially a coupe variant of the brilliant M3, so it has similar dynamics and performance traits. The twinturbo 3.0l straight-six packs one heck of a punch — 317kW and 550Nm to be more precise. Sending all that torque and power to the rear wheels via the swift shifting dual clutch gearbox offers some theatrics in the form of the wagging rear end. Even so, it remains a very controllable beast that will delight the keen driver.
A litany of lightweight materials have been used to keep the weight down, more so, perhaps, in the form of the carbon fibre roof, engine strut brace, and propshaft — all of which contribute to one of the most agile sportscars on the market. The only snag, in my books, is that the M3 should have been the finalist instead of the M4. Not only does it offer the practicality of two extra rear doors and a sizeable boot, but it is slightly cheaper and, dare I say it, looks better than its two-door sibling.
As far as MPVs go, the Citroen C4 Picasso seems to have the design element thoroughly waxed. It has a futuristic visage that makes many advocates of this genre look rather humdrum and brings something completely different to the market. Sadly, though, this segment has been decidedly overtaken by the advent of crossovers and SUVs, which continue to grow their footprint as more people look towards more versatile vehicle offerings. Even so, the Picasso is practical, comfortable, and, more importantly, specified to the hilt with all sorts of convenience and safety features. Its 1.6l turbo diesel engine — the only powerplant on offer — may not be the most powerful but is refined in its disposition and thrifty at the pumps. Interior appointments exude a premium look and feel, something you would associate with some of the German offerings. The front seats are particularly comfortable, with the passenger side offering a reclining function not far removed from a business class airline cabin seat.
A consummate long distance cruiser, the model does face some stiff opposition from the likes of the Korean compact SUVs in particular, which offer that typical commanding seating position that the market currently relishes. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how it fares over the Coty test days when the Motor News team puts its through its paces, but our initial impressions of the vehicle have been positive thus far.
The competition looks set once again to be a very interesting one as the finalists in this year’s event cover a broad spectrum of the vehicles currently on sale. Next week we will look at three more finalists — the Honda Accord, Mercedes C-Class, and Nissan Qashqai — to see what they have to offer their respective segments. It will surely make for interesting reading as we predict our winner of the competition in the coming weeks.