Top 12

The Ranger wins this category of the Top 12 Best Buys for the fourth consecutive year. If detractors complained that the newer Ford has always lagged behind the venerable Hilux in terms of sales, last year saw the Blue Oval’s double cab outsell Toyota temporarily, even if it was through the help of ...

WITH the arrival of the Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, the Kuga’s reign as category champion seemed under threat. Yet the Blue Oval’s crossover remains the benchmark. Last year, the range received new 1,5- and 2,0-litre Ecoboost turbopetrol engines and an uprated 2,0-litre turbodiesel. Apart from excellent ...

In September last year, Volkswagen revised one of Mzansi’s most-loved vehicle ranges and quietly slipped in anti-lock functionality on the braking system across the line-up. Previously, we relegated the Polo Vivo range to the “also consider” category due to a lack of ABS on all models (except in ...

Following a facelift that saw the whole powertrain range revised, as well as the permanent addition of a three-year/45 000 km service plan (something for which CAR has campaigned since this generation’s launch in 2010), the Polo retakes the crown from last year’s surprise victor, the Peugeot 208. ...

The Spark Campus had to fight harder than ever to retain its crown, but its combination of safety features (ABS and two airbags are standard), lively 1,2-litre engine, mature road manners and extensive warranty – not to mention the clincher, its price – was enough to fend off the biggest pretenders ...

WITH the arrival of the Nissan Qashqai and XTrail, the Kuga’s reign as category champion seemed under threat. Yet the Blue Oval’s crossover remains the benchmark. Last year, the range received new 1,5- and 2,0-litre Ecoboost turbopetrol engines and an uprated 2,0-litre turbodiesel. Apart from excellent ...

The biggest development in the double-cab market since the Ford Ranger defended its title in last year’s Top 12 Best Buys was the introduction of the Isuzu KB range. With a supple ride quality – a long-standing attribute of the KB – a focus on mechanical robustness through General Motors’ local ...

We had our doubts about the first-gen Range Rover Sport. Some thought it was too flashy for a brand that traded on understated elegance, while others took umbrage with the heavy Discovery-based underpinnings. For version 2.0, Land Rover has made the wise decision to base the Sport on the accomplished ...

Few test vehicles in 2013 impressed us as much as the Kuga. After a slow start in 2011 with the launch of the previous-generation model in the twilight of its life, Ford’s compact SUV gained traction when the new Kuga debuted last year and then immediately shot to the top of the pile. The reasons are ...