Car of the Year

Kia's family seven-seater stands out, setting a precedent in a singular field.

This year's line-up is a dream team of pace machines, heavy-hitters and all-rounders.

The Mazda CX-3 is in but the Honda HR-V and Renault Captur are out.The Audi TT is in but the Holden Cascada is out.That's my assessment of the field so far as we search for the best new car of 2015.Good is still good, but it's not good enough when the biggest prize in Australian motoring is on the line.Even a car as initially impressive as the Land Rover Discovery Sport is marked down heavily on value when you consider it as a CarsGuide Car of the Year contender.It's the same for the Ford Mondeo, which looks good, is packed to the hilt with technology but has lost its mojo on the open road.Similarly the Ford Focus ST, which is a great drive, is too narrow in its appeal.The CarsGuide team has already driven more than two dozen good cars in the opening half of the year and it's time to see what's looking good for a spot for the top-10 run-off in December.There are some surprising failures and the line-up could change dramatically with a rush of impressive newcomers booked for the second half but this is how the COTY 2015 contenders are shaping up.The new German coupe is everything the TT always could — and should — have been.It's had a muscle-car makeover that covers a broad spectrum from the sharper body shape to the driving dynamics and cabin space.All right, it should have a standard rear-vew camera, but that omission is offset by gains in other areas that count for a performance car.And the interior, with its integrated display screen in front of the steering wheel, is top-notch.This one is a slow burn because it's not like previous BMWs.For a start, it has front-wheel drive. And it puts family first.It's more like the i3 electric car than a 3 Series which is a good thing for people who put comfort and space and quality ahead of the Ultimate Driving Machine.It might be a clunky in the front suspension but it's classier than we expected and the flexible cabin, which will later include a third row of seats, is up there with the best.Cars as good as the Sorento should allow Kia to make the final breakthrough in Australia.Look beyond the country's longest warranty and you find a family seven-seater that's good-looking, practical and nice to drive.It could do with more steering feel but that's a very minor thing for people who need a seven-seater.Inside, the cheap and cheerful Kias of a decade ago are a distant memory, replaced by quality finishes, soft surfaces and great attention to detail.The best of the new-age mini SUVs wins a spot by trumping rivals including the HR-V and Captur, something it achieves with quality, refinement and a class-leading starting price.It's never going to star for a family with such a small boot but it's developed from the Mazda2 that starred in last year's COTY run-off.It looks good, drives well and works for twentysomethings who crave an SUV, delivering the elevated seating position without being too bulky.The new family sedan is a welcome return to form for a company that went backwards during the global financial crisis.Honda and Mitsubishi are still recovering but Subaru is back to what it does best with a quiet, comfortable, refined and well-priced car for Australian families. It also maintains Subaru's impressive reputation for cutting-edge safety.As always, it comes with all-wheel drive and provides the platform for the equally impressive Outback.The back end of 2015 will bring a number of impressive newcomers, from the baby Skoda Fabia through to the muscular Ford Mustang, bigger Hyundai Tucson and youthful Jeep Renegade.For now, the best of the bunch looks like this:This car could be as impressive, in its own SUV style, as the Volkswagen Golf Mk7. It's first with the mechanical package that will go under several VW Group arrivals, including the next Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga. So we're expecting class leading comfort, quality and a great family drive.If the born-again Mustang is half as good as the hype it will be a serious COTY contender. Early drives in the US point to best-yet dynamics for the first 'Stang with factory right-hand drive. There is even a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine. More than 2000 Australians are paid-up and waiting for their car to arrive, sometime in November.This one needs to be more than good to challenge the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class. But Jaguar learned bitter lessons from its X-Type, which was no more than a re-bodied Ford Mondeo, and is pushing hard with an XE that gets everything from an aluminium backbone to new-age engines. In Australia, the key will be in the pricing and equipment.The world's favourite sports car is odds-on for a COTY spot. It's been completely reworked for 2015 despite a body that could only be an MX-5. It's promising a much-needed improvement in cabin space and overall refinement, as well as Skyactiv engine technology that already works in Mazda's mainstream models. Add the lightweight body and sharp pricing. There is already a queue for early deliveries.The all-new Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara for 2015 are good but not great, which leaves the Ranger to challenge the all-new Toyota HiLux for the benchmark in utes. This midlife update is more than just a mild makeover. It has new panels, tweaked driving dynamics and on the flagship model it has technology that would make a German SUV blush.More than just a truck, the HiLux has been Australia's favourite ute for more than a generation, not just because it scores with miners but because it can be most things to most people. The new HiLux promises everything from a new turbo diesel to car-like quality and refinement.It's been a very long time since the first XC90, which has given Volvo — after its change from a Ford subsidiary to Chinese ownership — plenty of time to develop a benchmark upscale SUV. Extensive work on everything from cabin comfort and quality to best-in-class safety technology — wrapped in a good-looking new bodywork — should make the XC90 something special and a '15 standout.Alfa Romeo 4C - The Italian version of a Lotus Elise is a looker and a goer, but too costly.Ford Mondeo - Not as good as the previous car, although cabin space is excellent.Holden Cascada - Most impressive of the new Euro Holdens, good but not great.Hyundai Sonata - Not up to the standard of Hyundai's other newcomers, although value is good.Renault Captur - Funky bodywork makes big promises but the undersized engine cannot deliver.Toyota Camry - A top car by any measure but not enough change for a COTY run.

The BMW i3 electric car has won Wheels magazine’s latest Car of the Year award even though it conked out during the test because it ran out of power.The oddly shaped $65,000 car which is about the same size as a $15,000 hatchback, is one of the most controversial winners of the world’s oldest Car of the Year award since the Leyland P76 in 1973, the Holden Camira in 1982 and the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car in 2011, of which fewer than 100 were sold last year.The magazine also admits its latest winner is poor value: “If the i3 has an obvious weakness, it’s value.”BMW sold just 33 examples of its quirky i3 electric car since it was introduced last year. Even the Leyland P76 sold more examples in its first partial year on sale.The BMW i3 was criticised by the magazine because it drained power too quickly after it failed to complete one phase of the test.“BMW could and should do a better job of explaining the range extender functions and the importance of avoiding battery depletion,” the magazine said.However, Wheels editor Glenn Butler defended the decision to hand the award to the BMW i3 and added "It didn't break down ... it ran out of electricity".“We aren’t suggesting this is the car for every Australian,” Mr Butler told News Corp Australia.“Those who do big country kilometres will need something with greater range. But for the average Australian who does just 40km a day, the i3 offers fuel-free, emission-free motoring.”The BMW i3 is not the first winner to run out of fuel. The Ford Falcon that won in 2002 ran dry and had to be refuelled, said Mr Butler.Meanwhile safety advocates have criticised the award because the BMW i3 only scores four stars out of five for safety according to European authorities.Even Wheels magazine admitted: “Like almost any car in production, it could be made a little safer.”However, in earlier awards, Wheels took safety so seriously that in the year 2000, Holden air-freighted a Barina from Europe to Australia because the magazine insisted all contenders have three-point, lap-sash seatbelts.Until Wheels introduced the rule, the Barina at the time had a lap-only belt in the middle back seat. It went on to win the 2001 award.The BMW i3 is the first car with a four-star safety rating to win the award in 10 years.“Questions have been raised about the i3’s four-star (rating),” said the magazine. “There’s no question, however, that the BMW i3 does a good job of protecting its occupants in a crash.”The BMW i3 has seven airbags but it was marked down for having a poor pedestrian safety rating.Last year, 151 pedestrians were killed on Australian roads, accounting for 13 per cent of the total road toll.The head of the Pedestrian Council of Australia Harold Scruby said: “It’s disappointing that such a prestigious award should not take pedestrian safety seriously. When we get out of a car, we’re all pedestrians.”

Ten contenders, two exhaustive days of testing by six judges...

Selecting a Car of the Year is a bit like lobbing a grenade. It's sure to draw an angry response and you need to be prepared to cop the flak.The CarsGuide crew was bracing for just that as soon as we figured out the two stand-out candidates for this year's Car of the Year were the Falcon XR8 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.The irrelevant versus the unaffordable, the detractors would say. They have a point.At a time when hybrids and ultra-efficient turbocharged four-cylinders are the future, the XR8 is so old-school it could be labelled the Falcosaurus.As for the C200, it's the second most expensive car in this year's field. But it pays not to rush to conclusions.The Falcon and the Mercedes-Benz were judged not against their rivals but in terms of how they performed relative to their intended purpose. In other words, whether they did what it said on the box.The judging criteria covered engine performance, safety, driveability, value for money, comfort and practicality. Each car was rated against the criteria, rather than the other finalists.And on that score, it's hard to argue against either choice. As an old-fashioned muscle car, the Falcon delivers on its promise emphatically. The supercharged 335kW V8 is about as hairy-chested as you'll get anywhere in the world for a production sedan. And it makes all the right noises - supercharger whine, V8 burble, exhaust crackles and pops. The transmission is the perfect partner for a high-performance engine.It feels relaxed around town but as soon as it senses the driver is in a hurry it adapts accordingly. Its safety package gets five stars, complemented by huge Brembo brakes and a system that will call 000 if it senses a serious accident.Its cornering ability defies its heft, the cabin is comfortable and spacious and it's big enough for a family of five and their luggage. And the knockout punch is the value: It's basically the same car as the FPV GT, which sold for roughly $25,000 more just last year.The Mercedes, meanwhile, is a completely different beast but equally impressive in the way it nails its brief.The C200 is a glimpse of what will flow down to cheaper cars in the futureThe punchy turbocharged four-cylinder propels the Benz like a six-cylinder, yet sips just 6.0L/100km - a whisker more than the tiny Honda Jazz - thanks to a state of the art seven-speed auto with stop-start technology. The safety arsenal includes nine airbags and a host of driver aids, including fatigue detection, blind spot assistance and collision prevention.Inside, the cabin channels much bigger and more expensive Benzes, with a touchpad controller, satnav, adjustable mood lighting, electric handbrake, reversing camera and much more.On the road it can adjust the way it drives to suit your mood, changing engine and transmission responses, as well as suspension and steering settings.And as with the Falcon, the value equation is compelling. Most of the space-age gadgets, which have flowed down from top-end limousines, are standard. On the competition, most are expensive options.So why the Mercedes and not the Falcon? Because the Ford is a brilliant execution of an age-old idea, but the C200 is a glimpse of what will flow down to cheaper cars in the future. It is the one car in the field that sets a benchmark for automotive excellence. That's why it was a unanimous choice.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class wins CarsGuide 2014 Car Of The Year award as sales figures show it outsold the Ford Falcon by almost two-to-one last month.

As the exhaustive COTY drive program starts, CarsGuide covers the market segments — the focus as ever is on testing real cars for real people on real roads.The field for the 2014 Carsguide Car of the Year contest is in the starting blocks.The 10 contenders cover every corner of Australia’s new-car showroom, from baby cars to SUVs and luxury cars to people-movers. There is even a performance car.The COTY favourite is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class but there are dark horses including the updated VW Polo and Toyota Corolla sedan, as well as the classy little Mazda2 that’s a late inclusion for the contest.And then there is the Ford Falcon XR8, an Aussie hero that’s the poster car for the final FG X Falcon.The two-day COTY contest puts them head-to-head with a simple mantra: real cars for real people on real roads.So we’re looking first at value, then everything from safety to comfort, quality and efficiency. It’s the same approach that most people take to their new-car purchase but with a much sharper focus.VW has dominated the COTY results in recent years with the excellent Golf and Polo, which work so well despite unanswered questions about ownership beyond the warranty.But no one knows what will happen when we get down to voting for the biggest prize in Australia motoring.  The contenders are:Ford Falcon XR8From $52,490This is as good as the Falcon gets, as Ford Australia does all it can to make the FG X special for the time it has left as a car maker at Broadmeadows. Ford fans have been calling for the return of the XR8 for years and the best news is the car picks up the 335kW supercharged V8 engine lifted directly from the discontinued FPV GT.Honda Jazz VTiFrom $14,990Honda retreated in the global financial crisis, and has also just axed the Accord Euro that’s been so popular in Australia. Honda played smart by adding a standard rear-view camera to the new Jazz but that’s just the start for a car that’s a genuine step forward.Honda Odyssey VTiFrom $38,990Few Australians buy people-movers but the new Odyssey provides a good reason to look past an SUV. A genuine family van, it is also well equipped and well built. It’s been a long-term success in Australia, despite rivals including the Toyota Tarago and the latest classy Citroen Picasso.Mazda3 NeoFrom $20,490Australia’s favourite car for 2013 got a total makeover for 2014 that includes everything from the SkyActiv powertrain to a new body and chassis. It’s a looker that backs the style with impressive quality and driving dynamics. The Mazda3 take the fight to the Toyota Corolla for sales and the VW Golf for everything else.Mazda2 NeoFrom $15,790More like a condensed Mazda3 than any previous Mazda2, the Japanese company’s new starter car is mini but definitely not tinny. The cabin quality is impressive, it goes well with SkyActiv technology, and the value is up with a price that’s down.Mercedes-Benz C200From $60,900The world’s oldest car maker performed a magic trick with the new C-Class, creating a condensed S-Class limousine that still comes in below the LCT threshold. It’s packed with technology, takes a new approach to luxury cabin design and drives incredibly well in C200 starter form.Nissan Pathfinder hybridFrom $42,990Earlier Pathfinders were a bit rough-and-ready despite their heavyweight credentials but the new model is much more car-like and a serious alternative to a Toyota Kluger or Ford Territory for Australian families. The hybrid package is the icing on the cake.Subaru WRXFrom $38,990The long-term Subaru hero is still a performance bargain. Its user-friendly constantly variable transmission is one of the biggest changes and challenges to the turbocharged pocket rocket. This time around the emphasis has switched from the engine to the chassis in the WRX, a major departure that changes the game.Toyota Corolla sedanFrom $20,740Four-door compacts are not generally as popular as hatches but that has not stopped Toyota from creating a sedan that trumps its five-door variant. It’s a little more expensive but the pay-off comes in greater refinement in a body that works for many downsizers.VW Polo 66TSI$16,290The starter car for VW in Australia following the axing of the Up is a long way better than basic motoring. It goes surprisingly well, has a solid Golf-style feel and meets most of the needs of baby-car buyers. As always, though, we wonder about life beyond the warranty.We’re looking first at value, then everything from safety to comfort, quality and efficiency. It’s the same approach most people take to their new-car purchase but with a much sharper focus.

The shortest-priced favourite in the 17-year history of the COTY contest romps home ahead of a surprise runner-up, the Mazda6 diesel station wagon. The family-focused Kia Rondo seven-seater completes the podium. The landmark Mercedes-Benz A200 is fourth but the sentimental star, Holden’s Commodore, manages only sixth place in the 10-car line-up of new models released since December 2012.The seventh-generation Golf was clearly on top through the intensive COTY judging, rating first in the field with seven of the 10 members of the voting panel. It won us over with a combination of class and refinement, relaxed driving and the value of the $27,940 90 TSI Comfortline with DSG auto.Never has a “small” car (the cabin space is equal to a big car of the 1990s) so seamlessly combined the verities of a suburban family vehicle and a long-distance tourer. Its 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine is as amiable and economical - or as spirited and responsive - as you could want. Not that we have no misgivings after the massive recall of the previous-model Golf earlier this year because of DSG transmission problems and the ongoing questions about the Volkswagen support network. “I love the Golf, but I would never own one beyond the warranty period,” says James Stanford, summing up the feelings of most. Likewise Joshua Dowling, News Corp’s national motoring editor, who says that the cost optional extended warranty is a must for longer term ownership.Watch Volkswagen Golf COTY videoThere are no doubts about the back-up for the Mazda6, which emerges quickly from the ruck as the contenders are driven back-to-back over a testing loop on public roads around Mount Victoria and Lithgow west of Sydney.The luxuriously appointed diesel Touring Wagon ($41,650) is nearly as big as an old-school Aussie family six but brings BMW-bettering finish and refinement - and arguably the world’s best four-cylinder turbo diesel.“This is the reason people don’t buy Commodores and Falcons any more,” says Joshua  Dowling. “It’s European prestige styling and performance at a Japanese price,” says Craig Duff. Lisa Power asserts:  “The Mazda6 had me at hello. It is classy, comfortable, safe and polished.”Watch Mazda6 COTY videoKia’s Rondo SLi diesel ($36,490) is another surprise packet, scoring because of its 5+2 cabin flexibility, strong 1.7-litre turbo diesel and the Australianisation work that goes into all Kias. It has limited boot space with seven seats in place but that’s the only flaw. Otherwise its almost infinitely variable load and seating configurations make it a best friend for the suburban family prepared to look beyond the inevitable, but vastly less efficient, SUV.“It’s a cross between a wagon and an SUV, which is a good thing. It’s a great advertisement for the flexibility of a people-mover,” says Neil Dowling. “Not a true seven-seater,” says Chris Gable.Watch Kia Rondo COTY videoThe fourth-placed Mercedes-Benz A200 (from $40,900) is a fully fledged Benz and a properly sporting hatch that undercuts the equivalent Audi and BMW for value and desirability. Yet its alert road manners, intended to bring younger buyers to the brand, are felt by some judges to be too great a departure from the longstanding Benz remit, with excessive tyre noise on some surfaces and a choppy ride.Watch Mercedes-Benz A200 COTY videoIt’s followed in the voting by the chic little Renault Clio Expression TCE 120, $19,790) which this month spawns a pocket rocket from Renault Sport. An effervescent 1.2-litre turbo petrol and twin-clutch auto are a happy modern marriage. The styling of Laurens van den Acker makes for the most visually appealing city car to date.“I’m a fan. It’s 20 grand, it’s a lot of fun and you get what you pay for,” deputy editor Tim Vaughan says. Lisa Power, however, feels some of the novel touches are detrimental: “The reflections of this piano black trim are very distracting in the sunlightEveryone wants to like the Commodore Evoke ($34,990) but the VF is just not good enough. The 3.0-litre V6 is coarse and underpowered. Yes, its ride is superbly adept and its size is second to none but, as Duff says, “It’s an old car, out of its time.” Gable adds: “It just feels like a much-improved VE.” Neil Dowling:  “The world has moved on.”Compact SUVs might be as unavoidable as death and taxes but the world awaits the first outstanding example. Subaru’s Forester 2.5i with CVT auto ($32,990) is a “fine Subaru,” say several judges, “but no COTY”. The near entry variant will surely satisfy with equipment levels and reliability but its engine has to work too hard and there are better cabins at this price.Having agreed to make available a V40 T4 Luxury petrol, Volvo first gives us an XC60 SUV. A diesel version is found. At great length an example of the T4, in Luxury spec ($45,990), arrives. In a year when Benz can do the A200 at $40K and the Golf variant so transcends its price bracket, the V40 is not only too late but offers too little.Volvo’s case is further undermined by its imminent engine replacement. The T4’s five-cylinder turbo petrol is chucked early next year for a new four. If this well-equipped and pleasant car existed in isolation it would be a great deal more impressive than it is.Kia’s Cerato, essentially a twin of last year’s place-getting Hyundai i30, disappoints. The year of the Golf cannot fail to diminish this good-value but competitively basic small car. It is by no means as complete as the Rondo, It suffers, says Duff, from “muddy electronic steering”.Holden’s Trax ($25,690) trailed the field from the outset. It is a good idea done badly, particularly with impressive new mini SUVs - including the Ford EcoSport and Renault Captur - about to flood showrooms. It’s cheap within, obsolete under the bonnet, wobbly on the road and no more impressive than the Barina on which it’s based.HOW THEY FINISHED1. Volkswagen Golf2. Mazda63. Kia Rondo4. Mercedes-Benz A2005. Renault Clio6. Holden Commodore7. Subaru Forester8. Volvo V409. Kia Cerato10. Holden Trax 

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here.