Autodealer Lowveld Women’s Choice Awards 2016

Did we present the ladies with a curve ball? They had to drive a selection of luxury sedans and SUVs on the same day. In this feature we share with you the general vote as well as some individual opinions on every car. Enjoy the feedback of these nine ladies and should you wish to share your impressions on a particular product with us – preferably one that you have in fact driven – please email us on motoring@lowvelder.co.za.

Four ladies and one dealer representative won an advance driving course sponsored by EventsXtreme. BP Sonpark and Cicada were the foodies on the day and it was awesome.

 

VOLVO XC60 – VOTED: Excellent Plus

Another eye-opener for many. On exiting the Volvo, they looked and looked, and looked again. They were impressed.

Volvo Cars’ “Made by Sweden” campaign has taken a new direction in 2016 to celebrate the company’s diverse workforce. Honouring the people who come from all over the world – including South Africa – to create unique Swedish luxury vehicles, the new “Made by People” campaign highlights actual Volvo Cars employees – its own heroes – and the best-selling Volvo XC60.

Having arrived in South Africa early in 2009, the XC60 has contributed over 20 per cent of Volvo Car South Africa’s local annual sales, to date. The distinctive blend of smart functionality, leading safety and progressive design that embodies Volvo’s approach to creating premium cars is based on the Swedish car maker’s strategy of delivering products which understand, support and improve people’s lives.

Two diesel models (D4 and D5 Geartronic) and two petrol options (T5 and T6 Geartronic) are available. The diesels produce 140/162kW and 400/420Nm while the petrol models offer 245/225kW and 350/400Nm. The XC60 offers three driving modes: elegance, eco and performance. Although most people associate Volvo with safety, and rightly so, these cars also offer exceptional performance and fuel economy. The D4’s fuel consumption for the combined cycle is given as 4,7litres/100km.

Active and safety features are aplenty in the XC60. Active high beam, dynamic stability control, blind spot information, pedestrian detection and City Safe are but a few and supports Volvo’s intention to create accident free driving experiences.

Volvo’s are safe, powerful and you can custom fit your Volvo with accessories to suit your individual style and persona.

 

 

MERCEDES C-CLASS Coupé – VOTED: Excellent

Luxury in this Mercedes is not an option – it is an inspiring and aspirational car.

 

Athletic and sporty, vivid and sensuous! The new Coupé cuts a fine figure and embodies modern luxury. At the same time, its interior elevates beauty and style to a sporty level. A host of assistance systems provides safety of the highest calibre. With its high-class appeal and generous interior, the new C-Class Coupé sets new standards in its segment.

The interior is a statement of the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of sensual purity and combined emotion with intelligence. Although it exudes athletic and youthful charm, it has grown in maturity. A seating system including integral sports seats designed specifically for the Coupé, offers sporty comfort. The Coupé features a wealth of equipment as standard. The suspension offers a high level of comfort with low road-roar and tyre vibration while ensuring agile driving dynamics – the basis for driving enjoyment. The Coupé comes with steel suspension as standard. It can optionally be equipped with Airmatic electronically controlled air suspension that ensures self-levelling for excellent ride comfort even when the vehicle is loaded.

Drivers can choose the character of their Coupé at the push of a button: sporty, comfortable or consumption-optimised. To this end, the driver can select one of five driving modes using the Dynamic Select switch: eco, comfort, sport, sport + and individual. Selecting Individual allows the driver to customise the vehicle settings to personal preferences. There are initially two petrol engines available for the Coupé. The output spectrum ranges from the two-litre C 200 (135kW) and the C 300 model, likewise with a displacement of two litres but with an output of 180kW of power and 370Nm of torque. The diesel model is equipped with an advanced four-cylinder unit developing 125kW of power and 400Nm of torque. The C 220 d features eco-friendly SCR technology (selective catalytic reduction) for exhaust gas after-treatment.

Power is sent to the road via either a six-speed manual transmission, the 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission (standard on the C 300) or the new nine-speed 9G-Tronic (optionally available on the C 220 d only). Compared with their predecessors, they consume up to 20 per cent less fuel. There is a host of safety and assistance systems based on the Mercedes-Benz intelligent drive concept to choose from on board like attention assist, collision prevention assist plus and adaptive brake assist.

The new multimedia generation offers intuitive controls with animations and visual effects. FrontBass ensures a listening experience almost on a par with a concert hall and uses the space within the crossmember and side member in the body structure as a resonance chamber for the bass speakers.

 

FORD EVEREST – VOTED: Excellent

We presented the ladies with the two superb, and probably biggest rivals in the SUV market – Everest and Fortuner. It was close…

The all-new Ford Everest redefines the SUV market with bold design, advanced technology, exceptional off-road and on-road capability, and a refined, premium interior for up to seven passengers. It is a completely new vehicle inside and out with a host of features, providing unmatched value in its segment. It blends strength, smart features and style to bring consumers a tough and versatile SUV with true off-road capability.

For ultimate capability, the advanced new terrain management system gives drivers four settings – normal, snow/gravel/grass, sand and rock – that alters the vehicle’s throttle response, transmission, intelligent four-wheel drive system and traction control to confidently tackle any situation. The latest generation of Ford’s in-car connectivity solution, Sync 2, recognises 10 000 natural voice commands to control the car’s entertainment system, climate control and connected mobile devices more easily than ever before. Sync 2 also boasts an eight-inch touch screen with colour-coded corners for easy menu navigation. The entertainment system features a top-end 10-speaker sound system with an integrated subwoofer, providing accurate and precise sound reproduction and a deep, rich bass.

Other segment-first technologies in the all-new Everest include curve control and blind spot information system (BLIS) with cross traffic alert on the Limited model. It also offers other advanced features like roll stability control, electronic stability programme, active park assist and much more. The exceptional capabilities of the all-new Ford Everest are made possible by the latest-generation 3,2-litre five-cylinder Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine producing 147kW and 470Nm. The engine is matched to a durable and efficient six-speed automatic transmission with a sport and manual mode for improved control.

The all-new Everest’s bold exterior presence is paired with a modern interior that makes use of refined materials and emphasises horizontal lines to create a comfortable, harmonious environment for up to seven adult occupants. This is complemented by an exceptional level of safety features including seven airbags, driver assist technologies such as electronic stability programme (ESP) with roll stability control, cruise control, as well as rear park assist with rear view camera. The XLT features 18-inch alloy wheels and running boards as standard.

 

OPEL ASTRA – VOTED: Above average plus

Despite being the smallest luxury car in the day, it impressed all with its long list of luxury and safety features. Its on road performance is solid and confident.

The Opel success story started with the Kadett in 1936 and is continued with the new Astra. It is based on an all-new lightweight vehicle architecture, driven by latest generation engines and offers features previously only known in higher segments. To put it briefly, the new Astra combines efficiency with elegance and redefines the compact-class segment with its innovations.

“Three values are decisive for the new Astra – efficiency, innovation and dynamic performance,” said Opel group CEO Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann. “Our engineers developed it from the proverbial white sheet of paper. The new Astra is up to 200 kilograms lighter than its predecessor – and its athletic design makes this outwardly visible. Its dimensions are smaller but both spaciousness and comfort have been increased considerably. Numerous technologies and assistance systems from higher segments increase the comfort and safety of the Astra passengers, with our personal connectivity and service assistant Opel OnStar, ultra-modern phone integration and the ground-breaking new adaptive full-LED matrix light IntelliLux leading the way.”

This Astra is more responsive, corners better and gives a much more direct overall driving experience. In a nutshell, it is more fun to drive than ever before. The engine in the new Opel Astra supports this claim. Under the bonnet of every new Astra a member of the completely new engine portfolio can be found. Outputs range from 70kW to 147kW. The diesel and petrol engines with a displacement of up to 1,6 litres all have three things in common: they combine highest efficiency with excellent responsiveness and running smoothness. At this event the ladies drove the all-new 1.4 Ecotec Direct Injection Turbo, a four-cylinder unit. It impresses with dynamic responsiveness and high performance while curbing fuel consumption. The new 1.4 Ecotec Direct Injection Turbo also adds less weight to the car.

Smaller on the outside but bigger on the inside, Opel engineers are responsible for successfully squaring this circle. The passengers in the rear can enjoy an additional 35 millimetre’s legroom. The high-quality cockpit and the instrument panel seamlessly transfer the characteristic and aesthetic exterior design to the interior. Connectivity, the next generation of the IntelliLink infotainment system, can be celebrated in the Astra. As it is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (when Apple and Google make these systems available in South Africa), it will facilitate bringing the world of smartphones into the car. The functions can be controlled via the large, up to eight-inch touch screen located high on the centre stack via remote control on the steering wheel (volume) or via voice control.

The ground-breaking, Opel patented full-LED matrix light of the next generation enables driving with glare-free high beams and will be available in the compact class for the first time in the Astra. The Astra offers a host of safety, driver assistance and comfort systems – many of which are unrivalled in this segment – and with the European Car of the Year 2016 title under its belt, it certainly competes in a higher class.

 

 LEXUS NX – VOTED: Excellent

The Lexus did present a surprise for most. It is not a brand that is at the forefront of one’s mind when buying a luxury car. 

The Lexus NX, the LF-NX’s production-ready successor, is different. Admittedly, it has a more measured look than its predecessor and its innovative LED headlights and mirrors have been enlarged for practical reasons. Other than that, the evolution has been linear and smooth. Sophistication has been retained, as have many of the SUV’s original design traits: the sculpted front end with prominent spindle grille, the bulging rear fenders, those powerfully protruding wheel flares, that impressive body rigidity.

A roofline peak towards the back of the vehicle provides ample headroom and accentuates the side profile, creating a tight silhouette. Brazen, flared wheel arches house 17- or 18-inch wheels (model dependent) that set the vehicle in a crouching, muscular stance. The rear is punctuated by Lexus’ signature L-shape combination lamps, each with seamless LED lighting, while the bodywork echoes the spindle grille design at the front. An innovative outer mirror and world-first door handle mechanism (with hidden key barrel and integrated lighting) add to the luxury appearance. The interior of the NX directly evokes the premium, urban feel of the vehicle, combining the structural beauty of a high-performance machine with a material feel that maximises luxury and functionality.

Cabin design prioritises seating and interior space. The quilted pattern of the seats and varied pad thickness express the crossover intention of the vehicle. The NX offers best-in-class luggage load length and rear seat leg space, thanks to the flat floor.

NX 200t

The new Lexus 2,0-litre turbo engine, the brand’s first turbo-petrol engine, was tested over one million kilometres of various, often harsh road conditions and environments. Without getting too technical, the 175kW direct-injection turbo engine features the world-first combination of a cylinder head with an integrated water-cooled exhaust manifold and a twin scroll turbo charger. A new six-speed automatic transmission has been adopted to match the new turbo engine. It features new torque-demand control logic, which calculates required engine torque to maximise the exhilaration of quick acceleration response and fuel efficiency. It pulls off the obligatory 0-100km/h dash in 7,1 seconds.

Newly developed shock absorbers, capable of controlling even the smallest micro-level fluctuations, contribute to excellent handling stability and ride comfort. Additionally, the F-Sport features a new adaptive variable suspension (AVS), capable of variable control in 30 stages.An array of innovative on-board technology complements the vehicle – two of these are the new Lexus remote touch interface with a touch pad (EX and F-Sport) as well as the comprehensive multi-information display.

 

TOYOTA FORTUNER – VOTED: Excellent

New but not unfamiliar. Intimidating at first for many but once driven, it’s always a thumbs-up.

What exactly is freedom? In short, it’s whatever we want it to be – enjoying life without inhibitions. It’s the ability to go anywhere you like, whenever you want. That’s the true luxury of freedom – and this is embodied in the new Toyota Fortuner.

The origins of the Fortuner dates back as far as 1984, when a midsize SUV called the Hilux Surf was introduced. Two decades later, a much more refined design, but with still the right credentials has arrived. “The new Fortuner has a long, wider stance versus the outgoing model and its capabilities to adapt to every environment like a chameleon have been reinforced,” says Calvyn Hamman, sales and marketing senior vice-president of Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM). “It can transform seamlessly from a sophisticated urban warrior to a fierce bush conqueror.”

The new Toyota Fortuner was designed with a bold yet elegant interior that features flowing surfaces and soft-touch materials. There is seating for seven people over three rows. The second-row seating is split 60/40 and features a slide function and reclining backrests. Third-row seating is split 50/50 and features a recline function. Both rows can be stowed – with just one touch – to provide additional luggage space.

All Fortuner models have audio systems with four to six speakers, an auxiliary/USB port, FM/AM radio and a CD player. Audio systems on the 2.8 GD and 4.0 V6 models boast a DAB+ digital radio and a seven-inch screen with DVD compatibility and a reversing camera display. The range-topping 4.0 V6 is equipped with satellite navigation. Other convenience features include standard Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel audio and telephone controls, as well as powered door locks, windows and mirrors. Air conditioning is also standard and features separate air-flow controls for second-row passengers.

The new Fortuner is propelled by a range of newly developed engines, including the 2.4 and 2.8 GD series, the 2.7 VVT-i and 4.0 V6 power plants. The new GD series engines offer improved power output, efficiency and refinement. They place strong emphasis on torque output and low-speed tractability. The 2.4 GD produces 110kW@3 400r/min and 400Nm@1 600-2 000r/min. The 2.8 GD offers owners a stout 130kW and 420Nm. Automatic transmission versions will receive a boost to 450Nm over the same r/min. The fuel efficiency of both diesel engines has been improved by as much as 15 per cent compared to the previous engines. Its six-speed transmission has been optimised and on 2.8 GD receives Toyota’s newly developed intelligent manual transmission (iMT). Standard electronic safety features include vehicle stability control (VSC), active traction control (ATC), trailer sway control (TSC), hill-start assist control (HAC) and drive mode select. Downhill assist control (DAC) is available on 4×4 models only.

 

MAZDA CX3 – VOTED: Excellent

Here’s another car that changes many perceptions.

The all-new Mazda CX-3 offers a design of the finest quality and style thanks to the KODO – Soul of Motion design language. It adopts the full suite of Skyactive technologies and has been carefully crafted to match human sensibilities in order to deliver performance that can be enjoyed without reservation.

The CX-3 is a completely new model with a boldly inspired exterior, a stylish interior as well as dynamic performance and sporty handling. Rather than focusing on spec sheet values, Mazda went back to the drawing board, looked at what essential values people seek in a car, and produced a brand-new vehicle aimed to create the standard for a new era. With a combination of Mazda’s latest technology and design, maximised fuel efficiency and the latest active safety and connectivity technology, the compact crossover is a successful combination of engineering, design and a flexible driver-oriented approach. The CX-3 is a vehicle that suits the diverse lifestyles of today’s customers in any scene, from inner-city driving to enjoying the great outdoors – enabling customers to express their unique individuality. “We believe the Mazda CX-3 will do well in the Southern African market,” comments David Hughes, managing director of Mazda Southern Africa.

The all-new Mazda CX-3 offers a striking design and built quality that will satisfy the the toughest critics. This is backed up by a three-year unlimited kilometre factory warranty. To provide complete peace of mind motoring, a three-year roadside assistance, a three-year service plan and a five-year corrosion warranty are also included. The CX3 is available in three spec levels – active manual, dynamic manual and the individual auto, all kitted with the same 115kW and 204Nm engine.

The Mazda CX 3 – also referred to as a small SUV is everything but that – it offers a spacious luxury family vehicle. For those who prefer something different, its modern design draws attention wherever it goes. It most certainly did at this event. The Mazda’s MZD connect system with commander response to a wide range of needs and requirements that requires Bluetooth connectivity. On the individual auto spec level, satellite navigation is integrated and user-friendly. The multifunction commander is situated at the bottom of the centre console where it can be operated without much distraction to the driver. Mazda’s Skyactive technology also allows for precise control of its multi-injection engine and reduces exhaust emissions. “It unlocks efficiency and increases power,” says Mazda.

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT – VOTED: Excellent

Beautiful with fluid lines and brimming with features the Passat surprised many 

The original was launched in 1973 and this eigth-generation, is an absolute stunner. Everything in this car is new: its design, technologies and engines sets new standards in this class. Despite exterior dimensions being marginally smaller than the previous Passat, interior space has been improved.

It is available in a 1.4 TSI 110kW, 1.8 TSI 132kW and 2.0 TSI 162kW. The 1.4 TSI is available with six-speed transmission as standard and optional seven-speed DSG. The 1.8 TSI is offered with seven-speed DSG transmission as standard. Meanwhile, the 2.0 TSI is mated to a six-speed DSG transmission. The 2.0 TDI 130kW engine will be available from the second half of 2016. Two trim levels are available: comfortline and highline. All derivatives offer a high level of standard features with highlights including multi-collision braking system, fatigue detection (Driver Alert), park distance control (front and rear), LED taillights, Alcantara/Vienna leather seats (highline and R-line), multifunction leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles for DSG derivatives and three-zone Climatronic air conditioner (optional in Comfortline).

New technologies to be offered on the new Passat include the optional Active Info Display (available with the eight-inch Discover Pro Satellite Navigation system). All Passat derivatives have LED rear lights, while the highline and R-Line feature a distinctive horizontal tail light signature that switches over to a vertically oriented brake light signature under braking. Standard headlights are halogen while LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights and LED daytime running lights are available as an option. The new Passat is the first Volkswagen to be equipped with a head-up display (available as an option early in 2016).

The new Passat benefits from a wide range of standard safety, convenience and comfort features which would hitherto have been the reserve of the luxury class. This includes – but is not limited to – automatic multi-collision braking system, driver alert system (Fatigue Detection), adaptive cruise control (ACC) with front assist and city emergency braking, park distance control (front and rear), park assist, high beam control light assist and keyless access with power closing boot and driver selection profile. The three petrol engines of the new Passat come standard with the BlueMotion Technology system. The Passat comes with a full complement of airbags: driver and front airbags with passenger-side deactivation switch, along with a curtain airbag system for front and rear passengers, including front side-impact airbags.

 

SALES WINNER – Juan Marx

Juan Marx from Auto Baltic Nelspruit (Volvo) was voted the Best Dealer representative on the day.

He also won an Advance Driving course with EventsXtreme.