Kia Ceed Sows the Seeds of Success
The overall best new car of 2011 in the UK is the Kia c’eed, according to a new awards competition which sets out to find the cars that make your cash go further. Other cars picked as winners in the contest include the Renault Twingo, the Audi A1, the Skoda Octavia, the Ford C-Max, the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, the Mini One Countryman, the Honda Jazz, the Land Rover Freelander 2, the VW Scirocco and the BMW 520d SE – an impressive line-up of a wide variety of great cars.
The winners were chosen in the inaugural Parkers’ New Car Awards which were judged mainly according to cost of motoring data including depreciation, showroom tax and first registration fees, service and repairs, road tax and fuel consumption.
The Kia cee’d VR-7 hatchback won the medium hatchback five-door category and went on to take the overall best car title. The cee’d was judged not just for its build quality and style but also for its value for money. Built in Europe, the cee’d was launched in 2007 and underwent a facelift in 2009. The cee’d 1.4 VR-7 starts at £12,270 and has features such as 16-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, Bluetooth with i-Pod connectivity, reversing sensors, electronic stability control and six airbags. The car comes with a seven-year 100,000-mile transferable warranty and achieves fuel consumption of 48.7mpg on the combined cycle.
The best city car is the Renault Twingo 1.2 16v Bizu. Only on sale since January, the Twingo Bizu limited edition has standard features including an RDS radio single CD MP3 player, electric windows, ISOFIX two-point mounting on the left rear seat and remote central locking. Its light steering makes it easy to park and manoeuvre, and its petrol engine returns 55mpg on the combined cycle. The Twingo range starts at £6,595 for the Bizu 1.2 16V 75, rising to £14,500 for the Gordini 133. Meanwhile, the best eco car, taking in electric and hybrid cars, was judged to be the Honda Jazz 1.3 IMA HE Hybrid CVT.
The best small hatchback is the Audi A1 1.6TDi SE which offers a premium experience in a pint-sized package. The A1 is a well-made and safe car, having the maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests. Prices in the A1 range start from £13,420. Moving up in size, the best family hatchback is the roomy and practical Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSi S. This vehicle has decent levels of standard kit, top build quality, good reliability and a frugal petrol engine which provides splendid performance.
The best people carrier (MPV) is the Ford C-Max 1.6TDCi Titanium which has been on sale since November 2010. The C-Max has won praise for its comfortable and quality interior as well as its handling, hi-tech features and practicality. The 1.6-litre diesel engine provides good performance and returns 61mpg on the combined cycle. The C-Max is priced from £17,195 and has a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
The best family estate is the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 2.0CDTi 160 ecoFLEX Exclusive. This big spacious quality estate comes with many practical features and covers 55.4mpg on the combined cycle. Meanwhile, the best crossover is the Mini One Countryman 1.6D, the newest addition to the Mini range. Since going on sale in September 2010, the Countryman has seen orders in excess of 5,600, with the Cooper D model being the most popular this year. The Countryman offers fun handling as well as practicality, four-wheel-drive and excellent residual values. The 1.6-litre diesel engine returns around 64mpg on the combined cycle.
The best 4x4 is the Land Rover Freelander 2.2 TD4S. The Freelander has genuine off-road capability along with an upmarket feel, high build quality, a roomy interior and strong residual values. The vehicle has stop/start technology which improves its fuel consumption and lowers emissions - the 2.2 TD4 S delivers 45mpg on the combined cycle. The Freelander 2, which is priced from £22,745, is made in Britain and exported to over 160 markets around the world.
The best sports coupe is the VW Scirocco 1.4TSi 122. This Scirocco covers 0-62mph in less than 10 seconds and has a top speed of 124mph but it also returns around 44mpg on the combined cycle. It has sharp handling and a refined ride, making it a lot of fun to drive. Finally, the best premium executive car is the BMW 520d SE (Business Media). This classy car offers high performance, excellent residual values, a spacious interior and an engaging drive.
Kieren Puffett, editor of the Parkers’ car price guide, said of the awards: ‘It is great to see some truly outstanding cars winning. These awards will help thousands of consumers to immediately identify and shortlist the cars that make their cash go further.’
Visitwww.parkers.co.ukto find out more about some of the best new cars of 2011.
