The individual winners

Along with the MPV, the SUV has been the motoring industry’s greatest bandwagon as of late. Plenty of manufacturers have leapt on, desperate to grab a slice of the action – most have produced some pretty awful contraptions in the process. Volkswagen, however, has obviously adopted a polite “After you, no really, you first” approach. At least until they revealed the Tiguan.

When it comes to crossovers, there are few that can match the Volkswagen Tiguan Sport. The 2.0-liter TFSI engine found here is truly special – 200bhp can be accessed by a mere twitch of the right foot. If you love forced induction, you’ll love the fact that there’s almost zero lag with this engine. Acceleration shouldn’t be explosive in an SUV, but surprisingly, it is here. Merging into the expressway is quite delightful in a car that’s quick to leave others in its wake - which is something the Tiguan does really well. Handling is surprisingly fine, when you consider the car’s size and weight.

The Tiguan also has tricks to impress the gadget freak in you. There’s the touch-screen GPS navigation system and best of all, Park Assist. For those who rarely get to practice parallel parking, do not fret - the Tiguan can even parallel-park itself with minimal input from the driver.

Plus, one of the Tiguan’s strong suit is its fuel consumption.

Even if you’re someone who is not into cars and like everybody else, drives an ordinary sedan, there isn’t any reason on this earth why you should not like Peugeot’s 308. At least we know Peugeot is serious about building a proper car that definitely appeals.

Exterior wise, Peugeot got it all right and proper with the 308 – but at the same time, it looks almost similar to its 207 sibling, albeit noticeably bigger. And with that front and side profile, the 308 surely has road presence especially when compared to the sea of Japanese sedans.

When it comes to interior space, the 308 is awfully well-endowed. When it comes to road manners, the 308 is cultured, pretty refined and eminently capable. Then, to add more zest into the “appeal” factor, the 308’s 1.6-litre engine also comes with a turbocharger – giving it 140bhp, and a century sprint timing of 9.3 seconds. But that 4-speed automatic gearbox, well, if you’re not fussy, you should be able to live with it. Come to think of it, it isn’t that bad…

With all that space, loads of visibility and an entertaining chassis with plenty of grip, it separates the men from the boys. And that is what we call a good driver’s car.

The Volkswagen Jetta TSI is such a special sedan. Special in a sense that it has everything any demanding sedan buyer could ever ask for. In fact, there is nothing else in the market like it, that offers a substantial package and respectable performance figures, all combined into one. Have you seen the spec sheet of this car? It’s really impressive – 1.4-litre super and turbo-charged engine mated to a 6-speed DSG that is good for 170bhp, and a luxurious and spacious interior. If those are not reason enough, then the capable handling, the sort that makes you feel like you’re driving a BMW, should be it. Oh, and that cavernous boot that swallows everything.

Just like every other car, there are some bits that we can’t help but fault. Those factory-fitted tyre and rim combination that seems utterly undersized for the car, those brakes that seem to work too enthusiastically, and that steering wheel which seems a tad too oversized. There are some who also opined that it’s “no looker”, but with that already impressive amount of kit, it will eventually grow on you.

Overcome all that, and we’re sure you couldn’t agree more. Suddenly, it makes sense why this car has such a price tag, and why we think it’s worth every single cent of it.

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