2020 Highlights

The pandemic put paid to the annual Irish Car of the Year Awards. Motoring correspondent Mark Gallivan selects his favourite category drives over the past year

CAR OF THE YEAR Ford Puma

By rebooting the original Puma coupé as a small crossover SUV, Ford improved the original Mark IV Fiestabased car and delivered an SUV with the driving élan of the Fiesta ST. Pitched as a family crossover for keen drivers, the Puma is longer and wider than the Fiesta it’s based on. It’s powered by a gutsy 1.0-litre, 48-volt hybrid engine that boosts the pipsqueak engine into a unit that performs like a bigger 1.5-litre unit. The battery technology provides ample low-range torque from the engine as well. Hybrid drivetrains may be all about ecofriendly motoring but with the Puma, Ford uses it for outright performance fun.

Steering response, gearbox accuracy and weighting are sublime and the cherry on top, is how light-footed the car is to drive. Two fuel options are available — a 120PS diesel or the recommended 125PS petrol — while gearbox options are an automatic or a terrific 6-speed manual. Prices start from €25,240.

COMPACT CAR Suzuki Ignis

Suzuki’s sales footprint in Ireland is tiny but that didn’t stop the Japanese manufacturer refreshing their boxy Ignis subcompact car for 2020. The Ignis 1.2 Dual Jet Hybrid AllGrip SZ5, the most expensive model in the range, is a very affordable car that cuts away unnecessary weight and is a captivating city runaround.

The Ignis is powered by a zippy 1.2-litre petrol hybrid engine that revs freely and has untethered looseness. With a pleasing upright driving position, the boxy design has sufficient space for four people, perhaps five at a squeeze. The look won’t find favour with everyone, but get past that challenge and the plucky Ignis has an egalitarian charm that wins you over. Prices range from €15,665 to €20,265 in three grades, SZ3, SZ-T and SZ5.

ELECTRIC CAR Honda e

To make a splash in this segment, a new all-electric car needs to be matched by a fresh approach in design and approach to technology. That’s why Honda’s e is a standout newcomer and one of the marque’s most striking new cars since the NSX in the 1990s.

Using rear-wheel-drive, the Honda’s turning circle is very small at 14.2 feet. Even the tiny Fiat 500 needs twice that space. The interior is a standout, with five digital screens on the dashboard, two of them bookended by digital displays that replace conventional exterior door mirrors.

The five-door Honda e claims a 222km (WLTP) range from a small 35.5kWh battery, so the positioning is for short commutes. A claimed 80% charge is possible in 30 minutes from a rapid charger. Engine options are 136PS or the more powerful Advance spec 154PS unit. Performance from 0-100km/h is 8.3 seconds.

Like all electric vehicles, the e isn’t cheap — prices start at €30,000. It’s a rival for the three-door Mini Electric, though the forthcoming four-door Mazda MX-30 allelectric crossover SUV, with a similar range, may prove a truer comparison.

EXECUTIVE CAR BMW 330e

The new generation BMW 3 Series was launched in 2019, and now it is available as a 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid petrol. The electrification propels the 2.0-litre petrol engine from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds and fully charged, the 330e produces a beefy 289hp using the XtraBoost sport mode. The extra power is another example of electrification turning a humble 2.0-litre engine into a barnstorming sports saloon.

The latest 3 Series has an outstanding chassis and poise, yet the current annual road tax is only €170. BMW has somehow found the optimum mix of performance and parsimonious running costs for a medium sized, four-door car. Prices start from €47,240.

LARGE CAR Mercedes E300de

2020 has seen a root and branch facelift for the Mercedes E Class, and the pick of the bunch for business drivers is the four-cylinder diesel hybrid E300de. This diesel model comes with a 13.5kWh battery and the performance boost is notable. The new 300de thrusts from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and offers a hefty 700Nm torque. Yet this is a performance saloon that emits 33g/km CO2.

The latest facelift is low key, with a new front grille and headlights with standard LED illumination and redesigned rear headlights. The cabin updates are also subtle. Now standard are panoramic digital displays and MBUX voice command.

Away from the Mercedes laboratory testing conditions, expect around 50mpg for fuel consumption. The combination of relatively low running costs with the convenience of driving in fully electric mode for shorter trips, makes the E300de an attractive proposition for business buyers. Pricing starts at €62,720.

LARGE SUV Land Rover Defender

Few vehicles enjoyed a longer production run than the original Land Rover Defender. Originally launched in 1947, the boxy, go-anywhere 4X4 has long been a favourite of farmers and the county set. However, the vehicle lagged behind almost every contemporary 4x4 in terms of refinement and passenger comfort.

That’s been fixed with the 2020 upgrade, which comes in two variants — the delayed 90 (two-door) and the available 110 (four-door). The revised Defender has ample interior space, unstoppable driving capability and refinement comparable to the Land Rover Discovery. It wafts over patchy road surfaces like a hovercraft and drives as well as any regular expensive SUV, while still being up to the off-road tasks. Built in Slovakia, prices start at €68,160 for the 110 model.

COMPACT SUV Audi Q3 Sportback

We tested the Q3 Sportback 35TFSI S-Line four-cylinder petrol model with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Even riding on huge 20-inch alloy wheels, the suspension coped admirably without jarring feedback. With the high centre of gravity, a challenge for most crossover SUVs is body roll through corners, but the Q3 Sportback handles like a sprightly hatchback.

The premium experience belies the €47,550 entry price and the engineering solidity marks this car out as a leader in its segment. The look is impeccable too.

LUXURY CAR BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé

This is the most desirable car we tested during 2020. And one of the most expensive too, with the sticker price starting at €112,890. For the Gran Coupé, BMW added two doors to its voluptuous 8 Series Coupé, and it may be a stretch to describe the result as a coupé at all.

The 840i Gran Coupé has a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six petrol engine with 340hp that catapults to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds. The elongated bonnet and a cabin that almost pivots on the car’s rear axle, are reminiscent of a luxury car hailing from the roaring twenties. The cabin is a delicious environment and for speed fiends, it’s on a par with the Porsche Panamera (€123,790).