2016 Drive Car of the Year: Best City Car

[Express]

2016 Drive Car of the Year: Best City Car



Mazda retains its crown but had to beat two impressive new rivals.



09 November 2016
Stephen Ottley





The Mazda2 Maxx returns to defend its Best City Car crown against the new Holden Spark and Kia Picanto in the 2016 Drive Car of the Year Awards. Photo: Mark Bean


City cars used to be classified into one of two categories - cheap or good.

Getting an affordable city car meant sacrificing build quality and on-road dynamics. Vice versa, if you wanted those attributes you needed to pay extra.


See link below for video


But those times have changed in recent years as now even the most affordable new cars on the market are good quality and enjoyable to drive.

Two cars which highlight that evolution are the Holden Spark TS and Kia Picanto Si, our two new contenders taking on the reigning champion, the Mazda2 Maxx.

Both the Holden and Kia start below $16k with an automatic transmission, come reasonably well equipped and possess above average road manners for this segment.



The Mazda2 Maxx returns to defend its Best City Car crown against the new Holden Spark and Kia Picanto in the 2016 Drive Car of the Year Awards. Photo: Mark Bean


Unfortunately for the pair the Mazda2 once again proved a step above. The city-sized Japanese hatchback retained its title as Drive's Best City Car for the third consecutive year with its combination of class-leading presentation, quality, dynamics and value.

At $19,690 (plus on-road costs) the Mazda2 Maxx is far from the cheapest city car, but its value is hard to argue.

Generously equipped and well presented the Mazda looks and feels a level above its rivals, a sentiment that was echoed by the entire judging panel.

It may be a city car but the 2 feels comfortable on the freeway and out on open road; with the character of a larger car.

It feels solid and stable when pushed to its dynamic limits too, staying composed during our emergency testing.

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 81kW of power and 141Nm of torque, making it feel like strong on the road, with judges' noting its willingness to rev freely.

It's claimed 4.9-litre per 100km combined cycle fuel economy is achievable in the real world too, based on our long-term experience with the car.

Inside, its cabin also earned praised from the judging panel, from its fresh design with good quality materials to the infotainment system and its rotary dial control, which drew a specific comment from one judge calling it: "A bit of BMW in a sub $20,000 car."

It isn't perfect though, with its cabin still blighted by road noise at highway speeds (a Mazda bugbear), as did its tight back seats, which are hard to access via the small rear doors.

But those were only minor blemishes on an otherwise exceptional city car that thoroughly deserves to hold onto its title.

The Holden Spark TS may have come second but it pushed the Mazda all the way and ensured it wasn't a unanimous vote for top city car.

"That was a real surprise," was how one judge summed it up, echoing the sentiments of all.

It may be cheap, but the Spark is a nicely presented car that possesses on-road manners belying its asking price.

While it sourced from South Korea, the Australian engineering team worked hard to tune the suspension for local conditions - and it shows.

"What Holden has done to the ride and handling to a city car is exceptional," said one judge.

While not quite as pronounced as the Mazda2, the Spark is another city car that doesn't feel out of place away from the city. It feels well balanced and does a good job soaking up imperfections in the road. It was also measurably quieter at highway speeds during our testing.

The 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine isn't quite as peppy as the Mazda, with 73kW and 128Nm, but it is more than up for the job here. It's paired to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that impressed the judges with its refinement, smoother and quieter than similar units.

The Spark interior impressed with its classy design that includes a mixture of materials and its colour touchscreen that incorporates Holden's MyLink infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (making the Spark the only one of this trio with the smartphone technology) and allows you to use the navigation from your phone onto the screen; a handy feature in this class.

But despite the good quality screen a reversing camera isn't available on the Spark TS, nor is rear parking sensors - something that didn't go unnoticed by the judges.

There were other areas where the Spark is obviously built to its price, such as its steel wheels hubcaps and old-school rear window winders (remember those?!).

Kia Australia has chosen to introduce the Picanto to this market at the end of its life, with an all-new model due in 2017. But while there are some elements of the car that show its age, in other ways it remains a very impressive city car.

For starters no other city car can match its ownership credentials, with Kia's seven-year warranty and similar length capped price servicing scheme.

Plus, its $14,990 asking price includes an automatic transmission (Kia only offers the Picanto in a single specification in Australia).

Judges also felt the cabin still looked good for the class, despite its old-fashioned mono-colour read-out for the stereo. The seats and space also earned praise from the panel - it even has electric rear windows.

While its low speed road manners are good, making it an acceptable city car, the Picanto didn't impress the judges as much out on the open road or in the emergency simulations.

It also lost marks with its powertrain, the combination of a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 63kW/120Nm and is coupled with an outdated four-speed automatic gearbox made for modest performance and a habit of getting loud and thrashy under acceleration.

While the Mazda2 may have triumphed - again - the judges were impressed with all three city cars here, underlining the convergence of cheap and good in this class.


Judge's votes

Mazda - 8

Holden - 11

Kia - 17

(The Drive Car of the Year judging process awards points to every car in the category according to the position they were ranked by all six judges. The car with the lowest score therefore wins the category. If this vehicle defeats the existing category champion it is then eligible for the overall 2016 Drive Car of the Year award.)



Mazda2 Maxx

Price: $19,690 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 81kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 141Nm at 4000rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: 4.9L/100km



Holden Spark LS

Price: $15,690 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 73kW at 6200rpm

Torque: 128Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: 5.5L/100km



Kia Picanto Si

Price: $14,990 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 63kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 120Nm at 4000rpm

Transmission: Four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: 5.3L/100km



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http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...07-gsk9ad.html

[Mercury Bullet]

No EV's in this segment?

[XR6Runner]

Wow, does that KIA really still use a 4sp auto?

[Sabantien]

Originally Posted by XR6Runner

Wow, does that KIA really still use a 4sp auto?

Why not? I read heaps on this forum how people love 4 speeds and don't want or need anything more. So I guess it appeals to some.

For a little car like this I think I'd prefer a manual if it's an option. Although, I'm suspecting I wouldn't fit into any of these cars. Rio was too squished, I'd hate to try the Picanto!