Eight finalists have been chosen from 25 contenders for 2016 Wheels Car of the Year. Which will win?
The eight finalists for the 2016 Wheels Car of the Year award have been revealed at a gala event in Melbourne.
The shortlisted eight were selected from a strong field of 25 models deemed worthy of contention for Car of the Year.
Multiple variants of the 25 were gathered for three days of testing inside the Holden proving ground at Lang Lang, south-east of Melbourne.
After those three days, judges reduced the 25 models to just eight that were to undergo four further days of evaluation on public roads.
The 2016 Wheels Car of the Year will be announced at 9:50pm tonight from among this final eight.
The eight cars shortlisted were, in alphabetical order:
Audi Q7
The results are in. MOTOR’s first-ever People’s Choice performance car has been decided, with Holden’s Commodore SS V Redline coming away the clear favourite among MOTOR’s fans.
Over a thousand votes were lodged as part of the poll, where eleven cars fronted up to represent last year’s hottest releases and MOTOR’s 2016 Performance Car of the Year field.
Online readers were encouraged pick their favourite, or what they reckoned would snaffle the coveted PCOTY trophy, as part of the People’s Choice poll.
Do MOTOR’s judges agree? Check back on motormag.com.au tonight for a live update from the Australian Motoring Awards to find out which of the 11 enamoured judges enough to be crowned PCOTY 2016’s champion.
Hyped to the outhouse and back, the new Mustang has landed. So what’s it like? Pretty damn good, to be honest, and we won’t demean it by saying `good for an American car’. Because we don’t need to.
The five-litre V8 is sweet and soulful and has the torque just where you, I and johnny Lunchpail (your typical Stateside buyer) wants it. But it’s the Ecoboost four-cylinder that is the big surprise package.
The six-speed auto feels a little hunt-happy until you put in is Sport mode, but you’ll want to leave the drive mode set for normal to avoid a too-sensitive throttle pedal. In any case, the six-speed manual is more satisfying if you can be bothered. It also seems to be better matched to the V8 which also happens to have a pretty fat note when you get serious.
Okay, on a race-track, the stang is still a pretty natural understeerer (either engine) but if you pick your entry speed correctly, it’s surprising how accurate it can be and how easy it is not only to get it to rotate, but also to feel the precise point at which that rotation occurs. The steering is good, too, apart from a slight dead-spot at the straight-ahead.
On the road, it does suffer a little from road noise on really coarse-chip stuff, but the ride comfort is good and the damping ensures there’s no secondary bump nonsense. There’s a slight lack of theatre from the four-cylinder turbo, but beyond that, the Stang is a pretty involving drive even if you’re just going to the fish and chip shop.
The faux-chrome toggle switches are cheesy and impossible to read and there’s no digital speedo. In any case, you’ll spend more time looking out across that huge bonnet with its twin strakes and pretending you’re Steve McQueen.
Specifications
Engine: 4951cc V8, DOHC, 32v Power: 306kW @ 6500rpm Torque: 530Nm @ 4250rpm Weight: 1739kg 0-100km/h: 4.9sec (estimated) Price: $57,490
What used to be called Citroen DS 3 is now simply named DS 3 – but now a second badge has been re-added, this time reading ‘Performance’.
Citroen is attempting to create a premium-luxury sub-brand out of the DS name, and the six-year-old DS 3 is the latest to come in for a nose job and marketing realignment.
It’s great news for hot-hatch enthusiasts. The facelifted DS 3 introduces a Performance variant boasting 154kW of power and 300Nm of torque from its 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A six-speed manual transmission is the only option, and a Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential has been added to the front drive axle.
Tracks are wider than the regular DS 3 (by 21mm front/14mm rear), ground clearance has been reduced by 15mm and there are larger discs all-round (323mm front/249mm rear).
Citroen – sorry, DS – has created a more fashionable hot-hatch than the 208 GTi. The DS 3 Performance is available in both three-door hatchback and two-door cabriolet versions, with six combinations of roof and body colours on the former and four for the latter.
Performance variants stand out with carbon side mouldings, twin tailpipes and matte black wing extensions. Inside there are beefy bucket seats to go along with a mildly tweaked dashboard now with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto mirroring technology.
Sadly, the DS 3 Performance is not yet confirmed for Australia, but the brand certainly wants it here.
“We’d love to see it here, it’s just a matter of ‘if’ and ‘how much’.”
The only DS 3 variants confirmed so far are a humble 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder unit with a six-speed automatic transmission to go alongside the existing 121kW 1.6-litre turbo manual warm-hatch.
You’ve seen the Stig fang road cars before, but not without an iconic white race suit.
On top of racing and celebrity appearances, its seems the former lap-guru’s been lured in to promotional work in his life after Top Gear, as Ford’s stuffed Ben Collins in its Focus RS to explain how its tricky new Drift mode affects the car’s performance.
Because the car changes up to six variables for each driving mode, Collins’ experience as a race driver that’s driven countless road cars helps him process and explain what’s happening quite easily.
It’s a handy video if you’re one of many who’ll be clamouring at Ford with fistfuls of money for its new RS.
Mind you, with Collins on the payroll, it’s not a review. And either Ford or Collins slips up when he asserts ‘Sport’ mode firms the ride, just as the video lists the dampers remain in normal.
But with the Focus RS cutting huge rooster tails in the clip’s last moments, who cares about such trivial details? Not us. Have a watch.
More than forty tuned stars (and the odd weird burger) from the Tokyo Auto Salon said konichiwa to our camera as part of the 2016 installment of the annual aftermarket event held in Japan. Wander through the giant halls by accessing this gallery.
What will wear the 2016 Wheels Car of the Year crown? Tonight we find out.
TURN off the TV, switch the mobile phone to silent, and kick the dog outside. You won’t want any distractions, because Australian car industry’s most coveted award, Wheels Car of the Year 2016, will be announced tonight – and you’re invited.
Well, sort of invited. Wheels will provide rolling coverage of tonight’s event via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, culminating in the Wheels Car of the Year unveiling at 9:50pm.
We’ll also be lurking behind the scenes throughout today, so expect a few sneak peeks to pop up on social media.
All up, 25 nominees are vying for Australia’s top motoring honour, which this year folds into the Australian Motoring Awards, an event that brings in Wheels’ sister titles Motor, 4×4 Australia, and WhichCar.
Alongside the Wheels Car of the Year announcement, Motor will present its award for Performance Car of the Year, 4×4 Australia will name its off-roader of the year, and WhichCar will announce the top spot in its inaugural Style Awards – a celebration of design, innovation and flair voted for by readers.
You’ve already voted for which car you think deserves to win and People’s Choice Car of the Year 2016 winner has been decided. Let us know what you think once our champion is announced.
The Dakar headlines were the dominance of the Peugeot team and the sensational 12th win for Stephane Peterhansel aboard the super-diesel 2008 DKR.
Further down the field, however, there are all sorts of gems including, as it turns out, a plethora of different screaming V8s.
Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, Ford and GM are all represented like its some off-road NASCAR/V8 Supercars event. What’s interesting is the different sounds each of these bent-eight brawlers emits.
They’re tough, too, as they have to spend more than two weeks being beaten senseless every single day. Makes us want to take up off-road racing.
What is it?
The new Skoda Fabia is the third-generation version of the Czech brand’s baby car, which has been available in Australia since 2011. It’s Skoda’s smallest and least expensive model, and it does battle in the crowded light class.
The Fabia fits in as a characterful alternative to the mechanically similar Volkswagen Polo, with selling points such as solid safety credentials, an appealing infotainment/audio system with seamless phone connectivity, clever design touches and fun colour combinations.
A hatchback is offered alongside an incredibly spacious wagon which is a unique proposition in a class dominated by hatches.
What’s new about it?
The big news is the departure of the hot vRS versions – they didn’t sell – which leaves the new 81TSI as the most powerful Fabia available.
The two drivetrains available in a re-jigged line up are a lower-output 66kW version of 1.2-litre turbo four-cylinder with either a five-speed manual or a seven speed dual-clutch auto, and the tuned up 81kW version with the dual-clutch ’box only. Both those engines and gearboxes are available in the hatch and wagon.
A standard city emergency braking system headlines an upgraded standard equipment package, which also includes tyre pressure monitors and rear parking sensors, a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system and a leather multifunction wheel.
Both body styles look better than their predecessors, especially the wagon. Well-priced packs add appeal – the $1300 travel pack endows 66TSI versions with fatigue detection and cruise control among other upgrades, while a $1200 sports pack brings 17-inch alloys and 15mm-lowered sports suspension and other upgrades for the 81TSI.
What’s it like to drive fast?
Wind rushing through your hair, scenery blurring by… Oh, you mean in the Fabia? Well, driving fast isn’t done quickly – both engines take a while to wind up. But while the outright, foot-flat acceleration rate is modest, once up to speed, the Fabia can sustain it – and the driver’s interest – through the corners, thanks to its compact dimensions, benignly well-balanced chassis and precise steering.
What about the commute home?
The sweet base engine and more powerful top version are flexible enough that normal driving is pretty effortless. The 66kW version has a bit of character at low revs but the 81kW version ultimately has more urge.
The front seats are comfortable with good lateral support (they seem sportier than those in the VW Polo) and the cabin offers pleasing design and detailing, logical layout, great vision and good refinement. It’s pretty roomy in the back, with good head and leg room, and the wagon’s 505 litre cargo area is up there with medium SUVs and wagons. All versions use only 4.8L/100km on the official combined cycle.
What’s it worth? And is it worth the coin?
The Fabia range opens with the $15,990 66TSI manual hatch, or as a wagon for $1,150 more. The 81TSI brings its more powerful engine, extra equipment and dual-clutch auto for $20,290 as a hatch, and $1,150 more for the wagon. We reckon all versions are terrific value, especially the entry-level Fabia (though standard cruise control would be nice) and as a sweetener, hatchbacks come with free on-roads for the remainder of 2015 (on-roads cost $350 for the wagon).
Click here to find out more about the Skoda Fabia
Classy big Cat overwhelmingly popular in Wheels People’s Choice poll.
THE people have spoken! WheelsMag.com.au readers have taken part in an exhaustive six-stage poll to judge the People’s Choice Car of the Year for 2016.
In the end it wasn’t even close. One car grabbed an early lead in the deciding poll and was never headed, romping away with 60 percent of the vote.
That car was the Jaguar XE sports sedan, with which the Coventry maker hopes to take on competitors such as last year’s People’s Choice winner, the Mercedes C-Class.
In fact, the Jag’s winning margin in the deciding poll, which closed about 2pm yesterday, was bigger than it had been last week where it dominated voting in the premium European car category.
In the deciding poll, Mazda’s lightweight MX-5 roadster captured second place with only 16 percent of the vote – even though it had won its group poll even more resoundingly than the Jaguar.
In third outright was the rugged Ford Everest SUV, with 14 percent, from fellow group-stage winners the Ford Mondeo and Honda HR-V.
“After the largely forgotten X-Type of 15 years ago, Jaguar’s return to C-Class territory could have been another embarrassment,” contributor Byron Mathioudakis wrote in citing it among the 25 Car of the Year contenders for 2016.
“But the hunky XE grows real claws at last, smashing preconceptions about the British brand more effectively than any model since the 1968 XJ, and redefining luxury compact sports-sedan parameters with breathtaking confidence.”
Function – how well a car does what it is intended to do. Efficiency – in all aspects. Use of resources in producing the car and in running it. Value – both against its rivals and against the wider new car market. Technology – does it offer a tangible advantage over its rivals? Safety – We’re talking passive and active.
But unlike the COTY judges, few readers voting will have driven all the contenders over at least several days.
Will the Wheels judging panel nevertheless endorse the same choice? Stay tuned as the 2016 Wheels Car of the Year will be named at 9.50pm on this website tonight.
