‘Car Of The Year Awards’ remind us of the getaway driver in the first version of the movie The Italian Job when he says in that unique British ‘cockney’ accent: “Not another one of them? Blimey, every ‘Geezer’ on the High Street’s got one!”
But in the spirit of the holiday season, here - in alphabetical order - are 10 cars which stood out for us this year.
2011 Ford Focus
Of all the American brands, Ford was least affected by the financial downturn and not surprisingly has bounced back the strongest with world’s-best vehicles in many segments. We reckon Ford’s American domestic products have never looked better than the current Taurus and Explorer, but it’s in Europe where things have really stepped up: Exhibit A, the all-new Ford Focus.
Not only have Ford’s European stylists delivered the best look in the small car segment, their efforts have been backed-up by the engineering team which has delivered refinement and performance to tackle the previously all-conquering Golf. In the market for a small car? You simply must test drive the Ford Focus.
2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer
We’ve included the Hyundai i40 Tourer as much for what it represents as the car itself and in that context we could have included say the Kia Rio or Optima. The Hyundai i40 Tourer was conceived at Hyundai’s styling studios in Russelsheim, Germany, primarily for the European market and instantly it matched the segment’s best - Ford Mondeo wagon (also from Germany) and the Mazda6.
Kia of course is leading its product onslaught with brilliant designs under the control of acclaimed German stylist Peter Schreyer and Hyundai is also kicking goals big-time in North America.
The key points are: Hyundai and Kia have assembled first class teams of designers and engineers to go with their acclaimed production skills. Both companies have a global focus and their efforts to deliver world-beating products are being reflected in massive sales growth.
By any measure the Hyundai i40 Tourer stands-up against the best of the mid-size wagons.
2011 Jaguar XFR
We only returned the XFR this week and its great memories are still vivid. The supercharged V8 XFR takes the challenge up to the previously all-conquering Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and BMW M5 in terms of performance and driving dynamics.
In the looks department, of course Jaguar’s XF is one of the most acclaimed designs of the modern era, so taking that, adding some performance goodies, bigger wheels and lowered suspension was always going to make a huge impression.
And the Jaguar XFR’s $207,904 sticker challenges the Germans on the value front as well.
Be clear on this, Jaguar and sister company Land Rover and right now at their peak – best products ever from the Brits.
2011 Lexus LFA
The best car we drove this year. A screaming 412kW/480Nm V10 engine auto throttle-blipping manual down-changes isn’t what you expect from Lexus. But in its perfection, the LFA is the sports car you’d expect to emerge when Lexus decided it needed one (if you follow our logic).
Lexus being Lexus, the LFA misses nothing – it is to supercars what the LS600hL is to prestige sedans…that means as good as it gets.
The bummer with the Lexus LFA is the limited production run – only 10 coming to Australia and five of them have been bought by Lexus dealers.
2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG
OK, second time around it’s a bit like Star Wars 2, Cars 2, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – not quite the drama of the first edition. But we absolutely get the CLS - always have - and so we can’t agree with those who criticize the looks of the second generation …in fact we think the extra purpose and muscle in the design makes this version a much better proposition that the original.
The drive of Benz’ 386kW/700Nm, 5.5-litre V8 is astonishing and in the AMG-tweaked CLS63 there’s a chassis to match.
Add-in the sumptuous Mercedes-AMG interior and usual technology overload and the CLS63 AMG has ‘Supercar’ all over it.
2011 Range Rover Vogue
For the Range Rover Vogue, well-credentialed rivals snap at its heels like tiny Chihuahuas tackling a gargantuan Irish Wolf Hound. This year a memorable week in the new twin-turbocharged V8 diesel Range Rover Autobiography model assured us the ‘King’ has no peer.
Here’s the thing, Land Rover only do SUVs so you have an entire company focused on specialized technology just for Range Rover and Land Rover models. We’ve driven the current generation Range Rover in the bogs and marshes of Scotland and the high speed roads in Wales you see in the telecasts of the British Rally Championship…you name the tough conditions and we’ll back the ‘Rangie’ to conquer it.
And don’t think the breathtaking list of technology is the only reason we love the Range Rover. We also love the luxury design, choice of materials and unmatched refinement of this oh-so-British vehicle.
2011 Renault Megane Renault Sport 250
For sheer adrenaline-pumping hot hatchback road-racer fun, for two years now we reckon the Volkswagen Golf GTI and R models are too clinical and precise. Last year we usurped the Golf’s crown with the Ford Focus RS and this year our favourite hot hatch road racer is the Renault Megane Renault Sport 250.
Sure the Germans would be easier cars to live with and drive in weekday city commuter traffic, but for sheer “yee-hah” stomp-the-throttle-snap-the-gearchanges-pound-the-brakes-toss-it-into-the-corner fun, Renault’s naturally aspirated 2.0-litre RS 250 is the pick of Year 2011.
Possibly influencing our thoughts is the fact that you expect great high-performance Golfs from Volkswagen whereas Renault is on the bounce-back and sometimes the French brand catches you off-guard, delivering above expectations. That was also the case when we flew to Kingscliffe, just south of the Gold Coast, to drive the Renault Latitude sedan.
2011 Toyota Camry
The locally-built Toyota Camry, Ford’s Eco LPi Falcon (injects LPG as a liquid), Holden’s Cruze hatchback and the Ford Ranger ute (designed, engineered and developed in Australia but manufactured in Thailand) showcase the talents of our local automotive industry professionals and why it is vital our industry is maintained.
Of course Toyota takes that one step further with its massive export program for Camry and Aurion (mostly to quality-obsessed Middle East markets) which delivers volume throughout for its Altona assembly plant far beyond what could be hoped from just local domestic sales.
Toyota has done a brilliant job with the all-new Camry which is now downright sporty to drive and the Ford Ranger ute is simply the best one-tonne ute in the world…it’s straight-forward really.
2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
We love the FJ because it’s modern yet meets the original premise of SUVs – you can go anywhere on the weekend, bring them home for a quick blast with the hose and you’re good to go for the school drop-off next morning.
And we love the butch styling with those super-clever rear-opening ‘mini-doors’ for rear seat occupants.
Toyota might hate us for this, but the different weight distribution means the FJ actually delivers a superior driving dynamic to the mainstream Prado on which it is based.
And, priced below $45,000, Toyota FJ Cruiser might just be the value-for-money winner in the mainstream SUV segment.
2011 Volvo V60 R-Design
Globally Volvo is a company back in the big league and that has been mirrored in Australia with the Swedish giant much more on the front foot and calling Car Showroom virtually every week with another new model for us to drive. And that’s a good thing too because we’re huge Volvo fans…we love the Scandinavian designs and contemporary material choices make the interiors very, very pleasant.
For us the Volvo V60 R-design was a standout. Blend the good looks of the V60 wagon with the 224kW/440Nm, 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine and tauter sports suspension and the result is one of the best European sports wagons for a bargain $72,990.
We’re looking forward to Volvo calling again early in the New Year…because unlike the not-so-distant past, a call from Volvo these days means there’s a great car coming our way.
