With the announcement of the finalists for the 2015 World Car Awards at the recent Geneva Show, we were happy to see that most of our nominees got a mention. So, with just a few weeks to go before the winners are announced, here are our predictions:
A jury of 75 distinguished international automotive journalists (of which CAR deputy editor Mike Fourie is South Africa’s representative) collectively selected the following “Top Three in the World” finalists. The votes that Mike cast on behalf of CAR magazine for the 2015 WCA were based on our senior editors’ collective experiences with each candidate that we have either test driven or evaluated as part of our regular road test programme.
2015 World Car of the Year
The finalists for the overall 2015 World Car of the Year are the Ford Mustang, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen Passat. CAR associate editor Ian McLaren drove the latest iteration of the Blue Oval’s iconic pony car in the States late last year and road tests of the C200 and C220 BlueTec W205-generation C-Class models appeared in CAR’s August 2014 issue. The Passat, which was recently named European Car of the Year, was not an applicable candidate for CAR’s vote because none of us have tested it yet.
Although the C-Class has made an overall positive impression on the CAR team, Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa must have been disappointed when the W205 failed to beat the BMW 3 Series in the best compact executive category of CAR’s Top 12 Best Buys, in association with Tracker, which appears in the March 2015 issue.
However, things may work out better for the C-Class in its bid for overall honours in the 2015 WCA. Ian says: “I think the C-Class will beat the Mustang to the WCOTY title. While the Mustang wins points for emotion and finally giving that famous moniker dynamic ability to match its character, the C-Class is the more complete package. If the test units that were supplied to CAR magazine had comfort – as opposed to sport – suspension configurations, at least from my point of view, the Benz would win its Top 12 category”.
2015 World Luxury Car
CAR’s March 2015 issue features the first South African road test of the BMW i8 and a review of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé (in S63 AMG guise). Coincidentally, both BMW and Benz are in contention for World Luxury Car award, along with the Range Rover Autobiography Black LWB, but we think Sindelfingen will triumph.
“There isn’t a more comfortable, quiet and luxurious way to travel on four wheels than the S-Class Coupé at its price point. It is a brilliant grand tourer that has the measure of all its natural rivals,” says CAR associate editor Terence Steenkamp.
2015 World Performance Car
Meanwhile, associate editor Sudhir Matai is the only CAR journalist to have driven all three candidates for 2015 World Performance Car. Last year, CAR magazine tested the BMW M4, featured the BMW M3 in the 2015 Performance Shootout and published a review of the Jaguar F-Type R in the September 2014 issue.
However, Sudhir, who travelled to the California to attend the launch of the Mercedes-AMG GT/S in November, believes Affalterbach will be celebrating.
“With a stonking turbo V8 that feels naturally aspirated and eye-catching looks coupled with true sportscar responses, the GT gets my nod over the BMW M4 and the Jag V8 Coupé R,” he says.
2015 World Green Car
We don’t believe that the BMW i8 is likely to win the 2015 WCA World Luxury Car title, but we’ve named the futuristic hybrid sportscar our “Powertrain of the Year” in the CAR Awards 2015 (as published in the March 2015 issue) and therefore we think it’ll beat the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid and Volkswagen Golf GTE, which Mike drove in Berlin last year, to the World Green Car title.
“On their own, the different units that make up the i8’s powertrain are impressive enough. The most impressive factor, though, is how each of these units seamlessly combine to provide the driver with up to 266 kW and 570 N.m. The result is a vehicle that can travel 37 km on electric power only or deliver true sportscar performance with all systems in operation. And it will do that while using a staggering (claimed) 2,1 litres/100 km,” says CAR technical editor Nicol Louw.
2015 World Car Design of the Year
Last, but not least, we’ve asked experienced CAR lensman and former Art Director Kian Eriksen to choose between the C-Class and the South African-bound Citroën C4 Cactus and Volvo XC90, the three finalists for the World Car Design of the Year.
“While it doesn’t scream ‘look at me’, the W205 C-Class certainly falls easy on the eye and that’s a hallmark of good design,” says Kian. “It’s effortlessly elegant and refined, both inside and out… the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is all about luxury and style”.
* The winners’ press conference will be hosted by the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum on Thursday, April 2, 2015.
