Monday 3 January 2011

BEST CARS OF 2010 (PART 2)





Chevrolet did everything right when it came to the new Spark. Looks are very attractive, space is abundant, performance adequate and price accessible. Add to that the fact that GM is marketing it to the right people, the Spark is the car leading the General back in from the cold.

Premium mini hatchbacks are about to become the next craze and Citroen’s DS3, the Frenchman’s first attempt at the genre, is almost flawless. Mzansi people are still very much attached to their favourite old brands and are possible not yet willing to try out new things. Despite that, the DS3 is doing relatively well, and deservedly so. It has to be our favourite premium mini hatch of 2010 by a mile.

Front-wheel-drive and 224kW later, Ford is perched nicely in the minds of South Africans as the company that’s built an instantly legendary hot hatch. For two years we were told we’d never see it in the country, but 60 x R479 000 later Ford can claim massive success. Soon the new ST will roll up and we’ll have to buckle up and burst out laughing once again. Ford performance is back!

We weren’t too bowled over by the CR-Z’s lack of power and torque. However, its dynamics are top of the class stuff and its fuel-efficiency credentials among the best in any category. Honda has shown us there is a future in hybrid powertrains stuffed into an excellent driving machine.

A busy exterior design masks a complex compact SUV that challenges the status quo. Replacing the popular Tucson was always going to be a tough act but the ix35, said to be selling over 1000 units a month, is proving that sequels can work. Hyundai has really moved upmarket here with a car that’s well-equipped, very comfortable and fun to drive.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Why include the ix35 when you included the Sportage which is the same car? ix35 is quite ugly anyway