Our favourite cars of 2020
Even a pandemic couldn’t get in the way of car launches. In our yearly roundup, we asked Globe car critics, writers and editors to tell us their favourite car of the year.
2021 Toyota SupraEmily Atkins/The Globe and Mail
The only thing better than the 2020 Toyota GR Supra is the 2021 Toyota Supra. This stunningly attractive, pocket-sized powerhouse built by Toyota with a BMW engine, remains a massive bargain, but now packs more power. Driving endless, joyful laps on the track in the super-handling 2020 launch edition was the highlight of my year in 2019. If COVID-19 hadn’t red flagged the year, the 2021 would no doubt have been even better. The new model uses the same turbocharged 3.0L inline 6 engine, but wrings out an extra 50 horsepower, bringing it to 383 with a zero to 100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds. It also got chassis and suspension enhancements that improve on what was already near perfect. That this car is available for under $70,000 puts it miles ahead of its luxury sportscar counterparts. Its only flaw is scarcity, and that means it will probably always be my object of desire.
Mercedes-AMG G63Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
The Mercedes-AMG G63 embodies pointless excess, has fuel economy to rival the Exxon Valdez and has become an obnoxious status symbol. Despite how much I wanted to hate this silly truck, I couldn’t, because lost in a sea of indistinguishable SUVs, the G63 is something completely different. It’s an anachronism, a classic car without (too many) classic car compromises. Blame the nerve-wracking year we’ve had but it felt good – safe – to drive around in a bank vault built to survive the apocalypse. Honourable mentions this year go out to the electric bicycles of Zygg’s ingenious e-bike subscription service, and BMW’s earth-shaking, Harley-baiting R18 motorcycle.
2021 Genesis GV80Courtesy of manufacturer
From the time it launched in Canada in 2016, Hyundai’s upstart luxury brand Genesis has been the one to watch. In Canada, at least, Hyundai has resisted lumping Genesis in with its existing dealerships. It has instead gone with a direct-to-consumer model along the same lines as Tesla, selling exclusively online with just a handful of showrooms where you can touch and feel before buying. In the five years Genesis has operated in Canada, it has come out with a line of well-reviewed sedans, even as the tides were turning towards SUVs. With the launch of the GV80, the brand’s first-ever SUV, Genesis is now getting serious, readying itself to take on its German competition, and at a price point that undercuts its rivals. Surely it will now go on to revolutionize the car buying model? Take out its competition? I’m getting ahead of myself. But it’s the perfect underdog story. What’s not to love?
Hyundai KonaCourtesy of manufacturer
One big barrier still stands as electric vehicles’ (EV) drawbacks yield one by one to advancing technology, and that is price. Yet Hyundai’s smart and sporty Kona electric has laid out an enticing value proposition. Designed from the ground up, Canada’s first subcompact crossover EV has the battery mounted below the floor to allow lots of space for people and cargo, while also delivering a low centre of gravity. Its 201-horsepower electric motor, combined with a 64.0-kWh battery pack, gives it a theoretical range of 415 kilometres (although cold-climate testers report performance well below that cheery claim). To buttress against Canada’s wicked winters, the Preferred trim level (MSRP of $46,149 plus tax and delivery) even offers a battery heater – a trait it shares with much costlier Porsches. It looks great, it’s comfortable and it’s fun to drive. For even the toughest skeptics, here’s proof EVs are here to stay.
Lamborghini AventadorSupplied
Before the pandemic hit, one of my favourite press trips was Lamborghini’s Winter Drive in Bologna, Italy.
Sure, you might think Lamborghinis and snow don’t mix, but you’re wrong. I, too, was skeptical at first, but they are all-wheel-drive vehicles. The limited-edition Aventador SVJ was a blast to drive in the mountains, pushing it in the snow and seeing how well it performs in wild, winter weather.
The Aventador SVJ is the most powerful Lamborghini ever built. (SVJ is short for Super Veloce, which means super fast in Italian; Jota is Spanish and pays tribute to the racing days of the Miura Jota.) At its heart is a 759 hp, 6.5-litre V-12 engine – with no superchargers or turbochargers on board. It’s a true Lambo engine – not borrowed from other VW family members like Porsche, Bentley or Audi. And it’s a significant vehicle because it will likely be the last V-12 Lamborghini ever built without a hybrid powertrain. Electric is the future.
2022 Subaru BRZBrendan McAleer/The Globe and Mail
Viewed through the lens of what the automotive future might look like – autonomous, electric – the upcoming new Subaru BRZ seems like an anachronism. It has a regular ol’ internal combustion engine, is rear-wheel-drive only, and a manual transmission is standard. It’s also not really big enough to be practical, and with just 228 hp, is hardly likely to set any lap records.
However, having spent a considerable amount of time driving the flawed previous model, I’m predicting that the new BRZ is going to be one of the most satisfying cars to drive in 2021. There’s more torque from a new 2.4L engine, it’s still low and compact, and the tiny rear seats are just big enough to pick up the kids from school.
Modest power means more of a chance to wring out that engine without being irresponsible. It’s the kind of old-school machine that’ll have you digging out your paper maps and looking for parts where the road goes all wriggly. The autonomous future can wait; there’s still time for one last gasp for the pure sportscar.
2020 Land Rover DefenderMark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
I’d seen the James Bond trailer, and I’d held my breath when the car drove down an incredibly steep ramp at the Frankfurt auto show, and I’d even built a Lego model of it and interviewed the Lego designer in Denmark. So the Land Rover Defender was easily my most anticipated car of 2020.
Was it my favourite, though? Sure it was. It’s expensive for what you get from it, which is a vehicle that can keep up with Jeep’s off-road reputation while also driving you in comfort on the highway. If I could persuade my wife to let me spend the money, I’d buy one, because I felt good about myself whenever I drove it. But she won’t let me spend $90,000 on a car while we still need to fix the kitchen. Too bad.
2016 VW Golf SportWagenSupplied
In my automotive choices I’ve never followed the flock, which is why my car of the year is no longer available new. Its crime? it’s not an SUV. I call it a DUV, as in Driver’s Utility Vehicle – our new-to-us 2016 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. I value utility, but I also want a fun drive (i.e. not an SUV), manual transmission (ditto) and good fuel economy (ditto). AWD? You could get that in a Golf wagon, but fuel consumption suffers (did you hear? Climate Change is here). I really wanted a TDi, but Dieselgate nixed that. Besides, on the open road, our 1.8-litre gas engine returns less than 6.0 L/100 km, close to diesel frugality. For our next car, we want an EV, and VW’s new I.D.3 looks perfect. Except, the I.D.3 is a car, so instead VW Canada will import the I.D.4 – a crossover. Sigh. It’s not easy being an outlier.
Fiat 500Supplied
Canada said arrivederci to the cute, retro Fiat 500 last year because, well, almost nobody was buying it anymore. But now Europe has a brand new Fiat 500 that’s even cuter, more retro – and totally electric. This new 500, which is a little bigger than the old one, has a 320 km range. That’s more than double the 135 km range of the 500e, Fiat’s previous battery-electric 500 that was sold in the United States but never here. So why’s this little car a big deal? It’s shows that Fiat thinks the future is electric – it’s not offering a diesel or gas version of the new car at all (although it will keep selling the previous 500). Unlike other small, nifty EVs that aren’t coming to SUV-crazy Canada, could we ever see the new 500 EV here? FCA says it’s “evaluating [the Fiat 500 EV’s] potential for the North American market.”
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