THE AUTOMOTIVE YEAR: Five best new cars of 2012
When it boils down, the cars are the stars. Here's motoring.com.au's constellation of 2012 – personal choices of the best and brightest of the new and refreshed releases in 2012. Let the arguments begin...Five best new cars of 2012
Marton Pettendy – Managing Editor
It took a Subaru platform, engine and factory to make it reality, but combined with Toyota cash, design and direct-injection technology, the 86/BRZ delivers on its promise to offer good old-fashioned rear-drive sportscar fun in a compact, light and affordable package. It’s just a shame Toyota and Subaru seem intent on limited supply to maintain interest over the model cycle and are pushing back on a higher-performance version. Such a car would indeed be something Porsche should worry about.
Holden Volt
We were sceptical at first, but the Volt’s combination of plug-in, electric-only round-town capability and petrol-powered range-extending cross-country suitability, makes this electrified Holden ideally suited to our big brown land. Forget battery-only city-EVs and half-hearted petrol-electrics without a plug: the plug-in hybrid Volt is the electrification solution for Australia.
Range Rover Mk4
Shedding no less than 300kg of mass (engine-for-engine) was always going to do amazing things for the all-conquering Range Rover. The fact Land Rover has achieved that while increasing capability (not to mention efficiency, refinement and luxury levels) is a feat worthy of praise. It’s a shame only a privileged few will experience either extreme of its split personalities, but as the Rolls-Royce of SUVs the new Rangie is peerless.
Porsche Boxster
It might have snuck under the radar as the second all-new Porsche after the brilliant new 911, but the third-generation Boxster takes all of the 991-series flagship’s best bits and makes it even more fun in an open-top, mid-engined package. The Boxster has always made the 911 look pricey; the new one even more so. Now bring on Cayman MkII.
Volkswagen up!
Anything that wears a VW badge and comes with five-star safety, German build quality and a $13,990 pricetag (the same price Hyundai’s top-selling Getz was officially sold at when it was discontinued after eight years in 2011) is good news for parents and budget-car buyers alike. The up! sets a new benchmark for safe, entry-level motoring.
The 3 Series is leaner-running and more efficient with the introduction of the F30 generation, but you can keep your four-pot screamers. The turbocharged six is far and away the one to have.
FPV GT R-Spec
Brute force and character mingle in the R-Spec. But it's also a car that offers a surprising level of sophistication, given its pedigree remains rooted in the early days of touring car racing. Don't write it off as a feral taxi, because it's much more than that.
Peugeot 508 Touring GT
This is the second year in a row I've settled on a Peugeot. Last year's was a 508 also – and a wagon too. This car has the double-wishbone suspension and the bigger (2.2-litre diesel) engine. It's a great touring machine and offers all the practicality of Volkswagen's Passat, but with more style and typical Peugeot panache.
A Toyota, a Camry and a hybrid? Surely that's a veritable clash of insipid and uninspiring in the one wet nerf-ball collision? Not so, the Camry Hybrid is easily Toyota's most accomplished hybrid; it steers and handles well, and also provides reasonable value in a family-supportive package. As the final appeal to buyer sentiment, it has been properly engineered for Australia and it's built here.
Mazda Mazda6
Frankly, the new 6 shocked me by how well finished and how competent it is in so many ways. The Mazda’s dash design and its trim quality place it somewhere between VW and Audi -- it’s that good. The SKYACTIV diesel is phenomenally responsive and provides really useable performance right up to redline, which is 500rpm higher than any previous diesel I’ve driven. Love the petrol engine too, which must rate as the sportiest sounding four-cylinder powerplant in the medium car segment. Smooth-shifting six-speeder, excellent ride/handling compromise, great looks – it's the new benchmark in its class.
Matt Brogan – Road Test Editor
Porsche 911 Carrera S
The new 911 is sharper, more potent and more refined than those before. Driver feel and feedback is better than ever and with a tenacious attitude to cornering, so is 911’s grip. You could say Porsche has improved a car that didn’t need improving. Fuel efficiency gains have also impressed, though we’re not sure too many owners will care about that… will they?
BMW M135i
My drive of the M135i was brief but long enough to cement a place in my 2012 list. Scintillating performance, accurate steering and steadfast road holding make the 235kW hot hatch a real eye opener. Forget your morning coffee, just fire up this bad boy and shuttle your way to work. It’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your dial.
Volkswagen Golf Mk VII
The new Volkswagen Golf Mk VII has to be driven to be believed. It’s one of the most refined cars I’ve driven this year, and when you consider the small hatch’s standing (and price), that’s really saying something. With great engines, a brilliant chassis and a look and feel all of its own, the new Golf is miles ahead of anything else in this class.
Mazda CX-5 Diesel
It impressed at launch and it impressed again on test. And when we tried it back-to-back against a handful of rivals, the CX-5 Diesel proved that it hadn’t fluked its reputation. It handles like a hatch, performs like a petrol and sips fuel like a teetotaller at Oktoberfest. Energetic and efficient the CX-5 is the epitome of all that’s good about Mazda right now.
Holden Volt
I don’t know whether this is a top-five car or simply a surprise. Maybe it’s both. The Holden Volt drives like a European prestige marque, has the technology you’d expect from Japan’s finest and presents the whole lot in a package that doesn’t make you look like a tree hugger in Crocs. A shame new technology’s so expensive, then.
Feann Torr – Staff Journalist
BMW M135i
A face only a mother could love, but this angry ball of muscle is one of the most enjoyable and involving cars I’ve driven all year. Brilliant power delivery, good steering, excellent road holding, the list goes on. And it won’t break the bank. Instant classic?
Volkswagen up!
This tiny city car rolls a lot of high-end features into an affordable, safe, efficient and surprisingly drivable little package. Yeah, it’s slow but the charming little three-cylinder engine makes the journey bearable. I’d have one.
Think the Toyota 86 is good value for money? Suzuki Swift Sport is quite possibly the best value sporty in the land -- priced at $24,000 and fitted with heaps of good stuff. It can even be thumped around a race track if you’re so inclined. Good old-fashioned fun.
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Another car I’d love to have in my garage -- affordable, well-equipped, a little quirky, and with a beefy turbo-charged engine, it’s an enjoyable drive. It would have been lauded as a world-beater had Toyota and Subaru not released the 86.
Renault Clio 4
Not yet available in Australia but I don’t care. The all-new Clio is an awesome package that's going to make the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta look like cheap knockoffs. Top driving dynamics, attention to detail, innovations and overall quality. Give it to me now!
One hundred large is by any measure a huge sum for 99 per cent of us to spend on a car, but the latest bog-stock Boxster had me thinking hard and long about doing it. Yes, Virginia, it really is T-H-A-T good. No longer is it the lesser Porsche, in fact, in many ways the latest, more aggressively styled and harder edged Boxster makes the 911 look over engineered and over priced.
Volkswagen up!
Many are waxing lyrical about the entry-level price but be warned, with a few options up! is soon closer to $18K than its sub-$14,000 sticker price. That doesn't change the fact that this charming, well suspended and well-engineered microcar is fun to drive and funky to look at. That the three-cylinder engine sounds more than a little like a Porsche boxer or Matt Brogan's StreetTriple Triumph motorcycle is the icing on the cake.
Yours truly was well prepared to be disappointed but it seems at first flush, at least, that the Benz engineers have nailed this one. Golf sized, Golf priced but with the three-pointed star badge and a dose of panache and performance that was way better than expected. The only problem for Benz will be building enough.
Holden Volt
Not the best looking Holden (or Chev, or Opel), crook cabin (in my mind) and far from well priced but oh, so important in the scheme of things. Volt drives better than it has any right to and is a compelling example of how real-world practical plug-in hybrids could be if the costs can be reduced.
Debated about including this one/two... There's been a significant case of 'the emperor's new clothes' about the Toy-baru. It's not a Porsche beater – despite what you'll read elsewhere – but it is a nice sporty car that is balanced, affordable and, best of all, engaging to drive. And a decent set of tyres makes it even better. Proof that a mass market brand like Toyota can sell cars with soul. But the big question is: could it have done so without Subaru's help. Driven the new Corolla? There's your answer.
Bruce Newton – Contributor
Only the third stem-to-stern remake in 911’s history manages to retain the clarity of the old car’s driving experience with a superior level of refinement and comfort. Yes, electric power steering is a downer, but more in theory than practise. The biggest problem is the ridiculous Australian pricing. Is Porsche too greedy?
Porsche Boxster
Not only better than its excellent predecessor, but in my book the most improved vehicle of 2012. That really is saying something. I was in awe within 10 seconds of engaging first gear on my first drive.
A simple, basic rear-wheel drive sports car that proves you don’t need the most kilowatts or tyre width to have fun. A terrific price helps. Now that Toyota has woken up, it will be fascinating to see what else it can come up with.
Volkswagen up!
It has its issues such as a poor auto (apparently) and a long list of options, but the up! makes the micro-car class credible in a way the Alto, Barina Spark and Micra can’t. The VW is a perceived quality and available technology leader.
Volkswagen Golf Mk VII
Like the up!, Golf VII raises the standard in its class. But this time VW is trumping itself, as the Golf VI was clearly the small car with the best combination of quality, refinement, technology and combination of comfort and driving pleasure. Stand by for a rash of Car of the Year gongs for Golf VII about 12 months from now.
Michael Taylor – Contributor
Volkswagen Golf Mk VII
It’s simply brilliant, as you’ll read elsewhere, hitting goals even loftier brands can’t reach and absolutely zeroed in on the target market.
Lamborghini Gallardo
Lambo, ice lake and Mongolia... Sounds too good to be true? It was -- the trip was a disaster. But, even nearing a decade old, the Gallardos were phenomenal. In conditions that barely tolerated a footfall, the overpowered supercars were progressive, composed, torquey and scintillating. The replacement, when it belatedly comes, will be the product of hard politicking between Porsche and Audi, as much as Lamborghini, and it will want to be good to better this.
Maserati GranTurismo
Every time I drive Maserati's coupe I’m reminded that the job of a car like this is to so saturate your cells that it leaves you dreading the road’s end, not to ram unseen technology down your throat.
Audi A3
The hard development is down in small cars at the moment and the Audi A3 is a beneficiary of everything VW demanded for the Golf. Only Audi took it all and made it even better. Still, you’ll need some very compelling reasons to spend the extra money over a Golf for the A3.
Gautam Sharma -- Contributor
Toyota 86
A predictable nomination, but the 86 is worthy of this list as it brings back the fun that’s been lacking from Toyota’s line-up since the demise of cars such as the MR2 and Supra. Brilliantly balanced, delightfully tactile and relatively cheap, it’s a refreshing change from the Camrys, Corollas, et al. Could do with a tad more poke and a more charismatic exhaust note, but an entertaining drive as it is.
Range Rover Mk4
Not the quantum leap I had expected, but the new all-aluminium L405 Rangie is appreciably better than its predecessor and worthy of the ‘best luxo-SUV in the world’ title. Fast, refined, opulent, superbly finished and elegantly styled, it’s a viable alternative to a 7 Series/S-Class/A8/XJ. It’s pretty sharp off-road too. An all-terrain titan.
Porsche 911
How do they keep doing this? A basic recipe that’s 50 years old is always in danger of becoming passé, but Porsche manages to keep reinventing the 911 to remain the benchmark. Faster and safer than ever, the 991 Series is also easier to live with, while its stretched wheelbase has enhanced its visual proportions and liberated useful extra cabin space. Make mine a manual Carrera S in Guards Red.
Peugeot 301
It might seem an odd selection, but the 301 (which in all likelihood won’t be sold in Oz) is a great little car. Far cheaper than the 308, the affordable sedan is conceived for emerging markets in Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. What buyers in these nations will get is a stylish four-door with a terrific (for its segment) interior, excellent ride comfort and tidy overall dynamics. Brings back memories of great past Pugs such as the 504.
Porsche Boxster
Yes, another Porsche, but the 981 Series Boxster is a fantastically balanced sportster that’s better than ever thanks to more a rigid body, wider tracks and the excellent PDK dual-clutch transmission. You certainly wouldn’t feel short-changed if you had to have one of these instead of a 911. No longer the ‘poor man’s Porsche’.
Jeremy Bass – Contributor
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
First impressions suggest it has the stuff to reshape its segment. Starting at about $36K plus on-roads, and well specced for the money, it’s a good bet it will test the loyalties of all.
I included it last year, but that was before they announced he price and before I drove it. Even in its costliest Subaru form, it’s a bargain and a true game changer. No top-five list should (or will) be without it,
The Roadster made the splash. The Model S signals Tesla’s intentions as a future mass producer. The top-shelf 85kWh variant we drove is swift and spacious, making the most of the benefits its drivetrain offers. By far the most accomplished EV this writer has driven.
GM’s first leap into an electric future, and it’s a big one. It looks right, it feels right in the cabin and on the road. It’s expensive now, but so were the first radios, televisions and PCs. Plus it’s still half the price of the base Model Tesla S, with three times the range. History will be kind to it.
Mike McCarthy – Contributor Emeritus
Ford Falcon EcoBoost
Though two cylinders and two litres short of the alternate six-pack, the turbocharged direct-injection Ecoboost four stumps up 90 per cent of the 4.0-litre six's power, while using only 85 per cent as much fuel. Even better, aside from competitive performance and superior fuel economy, the EcoBoost's fringe benefits include 100kg weight reduction with attendant improvements over the whole gamut of the Falcon's driving dynamics. It lets Falcon keep the size, without the sighs.
Holden Volt
No technology, engineering or expense was spared in bringing the Volt's extended-range (series hybrid) electric design to market. The $60K sticker-price cloud's silver lining is Volt's promise of epic fuel economy in battery-only driving. Less mention is made of how consumption climbs when the engine's involved. In official laboratory tests, the Volt uses just 1.2 litres of energy equivalence per 100km. However, in early road tests, motoring.com.au logged 3.6L/100km while in Wheels’ hands the Volt sucked 6.4L/100km. Questions therefore remain, but regardless it would be a big mistake to under-estimate the Volt's importance.
No mere cosmetic marketing device, this Sport lives up to its label. And at no great cost. At a whisker less than $24K (MRLP), the six-speed manual Sport stands alone (tho' far from lonely) as Oz's entry-level hot-hatch. The Swift's naturally aspirated 1.6 litre capacity is encouragingly revvier and even when pedalled briskly, the comprehensively uprated chassis isn't over-awed by the Sport's added oomph. The clincher is build quality and reliability which seal the Sport as the bargain-basement best thing since... Well, since the boy-racer Swift GTi.
Shoot-first hero drivers may gag, but the Prius c is unquestionably the best small hybrid thus far. That's best as in most affordable, most economical and all-round most refined, among its other daily-driver virtues. You won't find best-fun among the c's credits, but the comparative easy-driving comfort, quietness and absorbent ride reinforce what the Prius c is meant to be and do.
Don't be misled by the up!'s size (or apparent lack of)... In all the ways that matter, this is a proper car, albeit expertly compacted and engagingly capable. Even Blind Freddie can see the up! has cult-car potential, particularly with the (almost) inevitable turbocharged GT version. And rumours persist of an even friskier GTI. A MINI Cooper S/JCW beater, at sub-Polo prices? Even as is, the up! is without doubt a 'little' car destined for big things.
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