Revving up for Car Of The Year
November 21, 2008
Large cars might be falling out of favour with eco-heads and cost-conscious consumers, but motoring writers are still keeping the faith.
Dominant, in every sense, among the nine finalists for the 2008 New Zealand Car of the Year Award, decided by members - including this writer - of the NZ Motoring Writers' Guild, is that giant of Aussie motoring, the Ford Falcon.
The FG range is up against an eclectic mix. Also in the running for guild glory is the Fiat 500 hatchback, the Honda Accord Euro, Hyundai i30, Jaguar's XF, the Mazda6 (in all shapes) and three sports utilities - the Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The three dozen or so guild members now have until the end of the year to decide which one is best.
There's no big drive-off on a deserted airfield (regrettably); voters score out of 100 and are expected to rely on their recollection of a nominee's strengths and weaknesses. (Well, that's why proper journalists take notes).
The winner is traditionally announced in early to mid January.
The shortlist generally creates some controversy; so do the winners on occasion - the selection, several years ago, of the Porsche Cayman proved controversial. How many have you ever seen on the road? Last year's car, by comparison, was a 'safe' choice - the Mazda2.
For 2008, the surprise omission must surely be the new Audi A4; it's that brand's main model here and has generally copped positive reviews.
Also absent are two more extreme 'off-road' offerings - the Hummer H3 and BMW X6. Both seem to have been deemed offensive weapons by the four-strong selection panel.
The Lexus IS F and Honda Jazz also don't make the cut, but probably because they've launched too late in the year to get around the motor noters for roadtest - a requisite for inclusion.
Of course, the F-version of the smallest Lexus might also be excluded because it's a variant of an existing and ineligible car. The guild prize, unlike some others, is meted to a car in all its forms (ie, a range), rather than specific models within a particular line.
That could be why the Audi TTS, diesel BMW 1-Series, oil-burner Hyundai Sonata, Holden Commodore Sportwagon and Mercedes C63 AMG probably don't get there. Also the diesel Ford Mondeo, a car that has potential to change the face of rep motoring in New Zealand. The 2.0-litre petrol versions were considered last year.
It seems a shame to exclude the Mitsubishi Evo X from thinking - this all-paw fireball is certainly a world away from the front-drive regular Lancer sedan that was considered last year.
New car releases occur in cycles, and 2008 has been a relatively light period; most of the launch activity has centred on mid-life updates and facelifts.
In saying that, this award won't just be for 2008 cars - anything meeting criteria that launched in the 12 months prior to November 1 counts.
This writer has driven every car on the shortlist, but the requirement for a member to have run a test on familiar turf (a good rule) means the Fiat 500 will be excluded from my thoughts. I drove that little baby in Italy.
The guild likes to spruik the award as being the country's most comprehensive and the one most respected by the car industry itself, since it embodies the opinions of experts representing every automotive medium. That tends to wind up non-guild types with their own awards, though none would dare argue that the guild's is robustly impartial and unfettered from other interests.
Still, there's no denying that NZ is top-heavy with 'best car' awards. Just yesterday a women's COTY was announced.
Having so many awards hardly upsets the industry - it just means more prizes and, yes, more winners. But pity the poor consumer trying to fathom the level of importance.
As well as its performance and handling, the facets under consideration by the guild will include the car's suitability for the task for which it was designed, its value for money, ease of operation, fuel economy, and build quality, along with its level of home comforts and safety accoutrements, and yes, even how good it looks.
Other recent winners include the current Mazda MX-5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and previous-generations of the Honda Accord Euro and Ford Mondeo.
What this means to you: So many NZ motoring awards, so many winners, but the guild's is the only one taken seriously here.
Dominant, in every sense, among the nine finalists for the 2008 New Zealand Car of the Year Award, decided by members - including this writer - of the NZ Motoring Writers' Guild, is that giant of Aussie motoring, the Ford Falcon.
The FG range is up against an eclectic mix. Also in the running for guild glory is the Fiat 500 hatchback, the Honda Accord Euro, Hyundai i30, Jaguar's XF, the Mazda6 (in all shapes) and three sports utilities - the Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The three dozen or so guild members now have until the end of the year to decide which one is best.
There's no big drive-off on a deserted airfield (regrettably); voters score out of 100 and are expected to rely on their recollection of a nominee's strengths and weaknesses. (Well, that's why proper journalists take notes).
The winner is traditionally announced in early to mid January.
The shortlist generally creates some controversy; so do the winners on occasion - the selection, several years ago, of the Porsche Cayman proved controversial. How many have you ever seen on the road? Last year's car, by comparison, was a 'safe' choice - the Mazda2.
For 2008, the surprise omission must surely be the new Audi A4; it's that brand's main model here and has generally copped positive reviews.
Also absent are two more extreme 'off-road' offerings - the Hummer H3 and BMW X6. Both seem to have been deemed offensive weapons by the four-strong selection panel.
The Lexus IS F and Honda Jazz also don't make the cut, but probably because they've launched too late in the year to get around the motor noters for roadtest - a requisite for inclusion.
Of course, the F-version of the smallest Lexus might also be excluded because it's a variant of an existing and ineligible car. The guild prize, unlike some others, is meted to a car in all its forms (ie, a range), rather than specific models within a particular line.
That could be why the Audi TTS, diesel BMW 1-Series, oil-burner Hyundai Sonata, Holden Commodore Sportwagon and Mercedes C63 AMG probably don't get there. Also the diesel Ford Mondeo, a car that has potential to change the face of rep motoring in New Zealand. The 2.0-litre petrol versions were considered last year.
It seems a shame to exclude the Mitsubishi Evo X from thinking - this all-paw fireball is certainly a world away from the front-drive regular Lancer sedan that was considered last year.
New car releases occur in cycles, and 2008 has been a relatively light period; most of the launch activity has centred on mid-life updates and facelifts.
In saying that, this award won't just be for 2008 cars - anything meeting criteria that launched in the 12 months prior to November 1 counts.
This writer has driven every car on the shortlist, but the requirement for a member to have run a test on familiar turf (a good rule) means the Fiat 500 will be excluded from my thoughts. I drove that little baby in Italy.
The guild likes to spruik the award as being the country's most comprehensive and the one most respected by the car industry itself, since it embodies the opinions of experts representing every automotive medium. That tends to wind up non-guild types with their own awards, though none would dare argue that the guild's is robustly impartial and unfettered from other interests.
Still, there's no denying that NZ is top-heavy with 'best car' awards. Just yesterday a women's COTY was announced.
Having so many awards hardly upsets the industry - it just means more prizes and, yes, more winners. But pity the poor consumer trying to fathom the level of importance.
As well as its performance and handling, the facets under consideration by the guild will include the car's suitability for the task for which it was designed, its value for money, ease of operation, fuel economy, and build quality, along with its level of home comforts and safety accoutrements, and yes, even how good it looks.
Other recent winners include the current Mazda MX-5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and previous-generations of the Honda Accord Euro and Ford Mondeo.
What this means to you: So many NZ motoring awards, so many winners, but the guild's is the only one taken seriously here.
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