{"id":26552,"date":"2020-12-31T11:57:03","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T15:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26552"},"modified":"2020-12-31T11:57:03","modified_gmt":"2020-12-31T15:57:03","slug":"in-a-year-of-surprises-a-surprise-choice-for-detroit-news-vehicle-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/in-a-year-of-surprises-a-surprise-choice-for-detroit-news-vehicle-of-the-year","title":{"rendered":"In a year of surprises, a surprise choice for Detroit News Vehicle of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

The coronavirus proved massively disruptive to automakers in 2020 with manufacturing delays, skittish consumers\u00a0and regional dealer shutdowns.<\/p>\n

But the show must go on.<\/p>\n

Market competition is fierce, and the last year was important to multiple brands introducing cornerstone vehicles. I tested\u00a059 new cars, trucks\u00a0and SUVs from automakers determined to meet product delivery schedules despite uncertain economic winds. In the end, three stood out for the 2020 Detroit News Vehicle of the year.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The variety of new entries was impressive. In addition to Ford\u2019s foundational F-150 pickup, I evaluated Ford sub-brand pioneers Mustang Mach-E and Bronco Sport. General Motors’ Big Three Sierra\/Silverado\/Escalade\u00a0re-asserted their authority. I floored the Porsche Taycan, the company\u2019s first electric missile,\u00a0and the Polestar 2, the first offering from Volvo\u2019s EV brand. They are chasing Tesla, which delivered its Model Y (shock) ahead of schedule. Land Rover\u2019s\u00a0Defender is back. Cadillac landed new CT4 and CT5 sedans.<\/p>\n

Amidst these brand mic-drops came models to die for. The first 700-horsepower SUV, the Dodge Durango Hellcat. The Porsche 911 Targa, master-class of style and handling. A last fling with the legendary Mustang GT350 before it rode into the sunset.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a memorable 12 months. Here are my nominees for 2020 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year.<\/p>\n

Third place: Mazda3 Turbo<\/h3>\n

The Mazda3 Turbo is proof that the gap between luxury and mainstream vehicles has been all but obliterated.<\/p>\n

The Turbo was Mazda3\u2019s long-awaited return to the hot-hatch segment. The best all-around vehicles in autodom, pocket rockets like the VW Golf GTI, Honda Civic Type R\u00a0and Hyundai Veloster mix hatchback utility and devilish fun at an affordable price.<\/p>\n

\"Starting<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

With its head-turning looks and stylish interior, the Mazda3 Turbo takes the formula to another level. Loaded with standard features including blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise-control, all-wheel drive\u00a0and a buttery smooth turbo-4 drivetrain pumping out 250 horses and 320 pound-feet of torque, a loaded\u00a0red leather-swathed Turbo can be had for just $34,000.\u00a0That\u2019s $10,000\u00a0less than a comparable (hatch-less) Audi S3 pocket rocket.<\/p>\n

Runner-up: Tesla Model Y<\/h3>\n

The Tesla Model 3 was Tesla\u2019s game-changer, bringing the Silicon Valley brand\u2019s high-tech electric vision to the luxury market. But its Model Y doppelg\u00e4nger is now deployed in the popular\u00a0compact-SUV segment.<\/p>\n

Delivered ahead of schedule (a rarity for Elon Musk\u2019s elves), the Model Y instantly became the standard that every other electric\u00a0SUV must match.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

And there are quite a few. This year alone introduced the Audi e-tron Sportback, Polestar 2\u00a0and Mustang Mach-E. More will follow next year,\u00a0including the VW ID.3 and Mercedes EQS. The Model Y\u2019s formidable capabilities indicate the uphill battle these wannabes face.<\/p>\n

Its battery range, rear-seat room\u00a0and self-driving capability are all tops-in-class. It stomps the e-tron, for example, in range (326 miles compared to 222). Its\u00a0over-the-air updates (I tested a Model Y fresh off an Autopilot upgrade that recognized stoplights, for goodness sake) are the envy of the industry. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Mach-E (my runner-up as year\u2019s best EV) follows the Model Y formula to a tee: spare interior, big screen, similar range, similar self-driving capability, performance.<\/p>\n

But the Mach-E lacks Tesla\u2019s secret sauce: a consistent charging network. Every other EV must depend on sparse, third-party chargers to get about when far from home. Tesla\u2019s proprietary network is fully integrated into the Model Y\u2019s navigation system, meaning a fast charger is never far away.<\/p>\n

Model Y leaves the door open to competitors with its nagging quality issues (my test car had window problems just weeks after delivery). If the wannabes can deliver consistently better quality, it may dull Tesla\u2019s luster.<\/p>\n

Winner: Ford Bronco Sport<\/h3>\n

The 2020 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is the Bronco Sport. Surprised you, didn\u2019t I?<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The Ford F-150 is the 800-pound gorilla in this year\u2019s judging \u2014 an all-new model of America\u2019s best-selling vehicle. With a hybrid option and on-board generator capability it is very good and will top a lot of Vehicle of the Year lists. But option the F-150 with these goodies and it can easily crest $50,000.<\/p>\n

Bronco Sport is not only affordable (starting at $28,115) in America\u2019s largest segment, but it brings with it an outsized personality to an often-vanilla class. Credit big brother Bronco, which will debut in 2021.<\/p>\n

The Baby Bronco, as the Sport is affectionately called, is part of Ford\u2019s one-two punch countering Jeep\u2019s wildly successful SUV brand,\u00a0led by the tree-chewing, ladder-frame Wrangler. The bigger Bronco takes aim at the Wrangler; the Bronco Sport takes on the Jeep Cherokee and Latitude.<\/p>\n

Built on the same unibody platform as the elegant Escape, the Bronco Sport teases offroad adventure to complement the Escape\u2019s more metro vibe. Ford did not hold back. The Sport is a comprehensive effort.<\/p>\n

The exterior shouts Bronco swagger with its round headlights and squared-off design. A bright color palette (my testers wore sky blue and yellow) telegraph the vehicle\u2019s colorful personality. The interior is loaded with technology and lots of thoughtful details: There’s F-150-like second-row storage beneath the floor. A big cargo bay that can hold two upright bikes. Floodlights in the rear gate. A bottle opener on the rear pillar.<\/p>\n

\"Yee-haw.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Typical of Ford, the Baby Bronco also comes with multiple engines and trims. My favorite is the off-road focused Badlands model. This eager beaver takes the 2.0-liter turbo-4 from Escape and marries it to the twin-clutch pack from the Ford Focus RS track rat for some serious off-road cred.<\/p>\n

So capable is Badlands that I tore up an off-road, sand-choked autocross course at Holly Oaks ORV park. That\u2019s my kind of family ute. Ford has put sedans in its rear-view mirror, but the Bronco Sport is proof that the fun spirit of Ford hot hatches \u2014 Focus ST and Fiesta ST \u2014 lives on.<\/p>\n

In an auto market that offers so much variety, Bronco Sport has it all: fun, utility, style\u00a0and a price tag that won\u2019t break your wallet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The coronavirus proved massively disruptive to automakers in 2020 with manufacturing delays, skittish consumers\u00a0and regional dealer shutdowns. But the show must go on. Market competition is fierce, and the last year was important to multiple brands introducing cornerstone vehicles. I tested\u00a059 new cars, trucks\u00a0and SUVs from automakers determined to meet product delivery schedules despite uncertain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26552"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26552"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26553,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26552\/revisions\/26553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}