Car of the Decade

The second decade of the 21st century is about to come to a close.

It’s been 10 years of turmoil in the car industry. Companies, alliances, technologies and fads have all come and gone. Australia has slipped from the list of countries that makes cars – forever…

While we celebrate and lament the changes, there’s nothing surer than the fact the next decade will be even more disruptive. The era of electric vehicles is rapidly approaching; diesel is on the nose; the default passenger car form is now a two-box SUV for many of us; and Down Under our best selling vehicles are agricultural implements. We’ve got much to look forward to – he said with tongue firmly in cheek…

But all of that (well, most of it) is still to come -- what of the cars that shaped 2010-2019?

We’ve created a list of the cars that we think (for various reasons) are in the running for a Car of the Decade gong. Some redefined segments, some pioneered new technology, some were unique milestones – both progressive and retrospective.

We offer the list for your entertainment and discussion.

There’s no prize nor trophy for the car that wins, just acknowledgement.

Our test team and allied writers have all been tasked to vote. Simply, 15 points down to one, across the vehicles they each deem their top 15.

We will publish the democratically decreed carsales Car of the Decade on January 2, 2020. In the meantime, use the comments below to nominate yours.

It may be on the list below… It may be not… Again, there’s no prize – just your chance to crown your champion…

It was a year of contrasts: Ferrari’s last naturally-aspirated V8, the 458, went on sale just as Mitsubishi unleashed its oddball i-MiEV, the first all-electric car to be sold Down Under.

Holden also played the fuel economy card with its updated VE Series II Commodore, while Mitsubishi released the underwhelming but popular ASX, at the pointy end of what was a new breed of small SUVs.

Toyota Camry Hybrid – With Australian vehicle manufacturing on the ropes, Toyota dipped into the government’s Green Car Innovation Fund to manufacture the first hybrid car in Australia. Using the basic but competitively-priced Camry architecture ensured keen pricing, Camry accelerated sales of petrol-electric vehicles to the point where they accounted for more than one per cent of the new-car market for the first time.

In 2011 there was no shortage of supercars, with Lamborghini unleashing its V12 Aventador and Ferrari responding with its first all-wheel drive car, the FF. Two newcomers – McLaren with the 12C and Lexus with the LFA – also entered the go-fast fray.

But it was the quirky Skoda Yeti and updated Ford Territory (late to the SUV party with diesel for the first time) that better defined a changing market, one that saw an imported car (the Mazda3) outsell the locally-made large cars for the first time.

Ford Ranger – Anyone wondering about the value of local development and engineering need only have looked at the T6 Ranger. As Ford was preparing to farewell its trusty Falcon, it was investing heavily in what was to become the new family car: the dual-cab off-road ute. The Ranger raised the bar for refinement, comfort and safety, setting the template that rivals are still chasing.

Just in case you thought the world had forgotten about reducing fuel use, along came 2012, a year in which Toyota stepped up the efficiency of its Camry Hybrid and Holden began selling the Volt, the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle of what would turn out to be many. But there was also affordable fun in the offing with the Hyundai Veloster and its asymmetric doors.

Mazda CX-5 – Addressing most of the complaints with the CX-7 it replaced, the more spacious CX-5 arrived with an impressive armoury that set the template for mid-sized SUVs. Diesel and petrol power, two- and four-wheel drive and a healthy list of safety gear made it an instant winner.

It was a year in which sensibilities kicked in, finally the fright of the global financial crisis was disappearing into the rear-vision mirror. Mazda began selling its impressive new 6 and Ford looked after the bottom-end of the market with the loveable Fiesta, complete with three-cylinder turbo propulsion.

The growing mid-size SUV market welcomed a new Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga (temporarily replacing the Escape), each of which made up the field rather than redefined the segment.

Holden Commodore VF – When it launched in June nobody realised it would be the last major update to the Australian Commodore, Holden announcing in December it with cease local manufacturing by 2017. A classier interior, additional safety kit and big step up in driving manners made for the best Commodore ever and a car that could match it with more expensive imports on many fronts.

Just as BMW was gazing way into the future with its carbon fibre-bodied i3, Ford tried to forget its past by sneaking the last of the Falcons, the FG X, onto the market. Mazda also unleashed its latest Mazda3, a familiar theme being to lead the way on new features and safety tech in the small-car class.

Mazda2 – When it debuted, the smallest car to ride on Mazda’s latest SKYACTIV platform set new standards for a Japanese light car in terms of technology, presentation, dynamics and value.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class – While engines for the new C-Class were largely unchanged, a new architecture shed previous kilos to make the performance and fuel efficiency equation look rosier. The new sedan was also far more convincing to drive and had an acceptably upmarket interior to match. It continued its luxury market-topping ways before spawning brutal AMG derivatives.

Peugeot 308 – Many might not have noticed at the time, but the latest 308 debuted a new platform that not only formed the basis for a generation of Peugeot and Citroen models, but made the small French hatch a solid alternative to the VW Golf for the first time in over a decade. And the GTi was a corker.

Porsche Macan – Flushed with the success of its first SUV, the Zuffenhausen sports car maker landed the smaller, cheaper and even more popular Macan five years ago, setting new dynamic standards for an SUV.

It was a case of buckle up for 2015, because things were about to get exciting. Mazda let loose with its fourth-generation MX-5 and Jaguar got serious with the XE, a great car with little in the way of buyer interest to back it up.

Ford Mustang – With the Aussie V8 roaring towards a 2017 end date, Ford fans were quick to embrace the American replacement. An intoxicating sound and respectable performance teamed with sharp pricing and retro-infused Mustang good looks to create a loooong waiting list.

In many ways 2016 was the year of the turbo, when manufacturers relied on the extra huff for fuel economy improvements and a big step up in performance. For Ferrari that meant downsizing and up-powering with the 488. Honda even added a turbo to its new Civic hatch, a revival of sorts for the Japanese brand.

Mazda CX-9 – A downsized engine with more grunt, better flexibility and lower fuel use made the CX-9 a large SUV leader. Backing it up with new standards in active safety, the CX-9 was our 2016 COTY. If anything, the CX-9 was indicative of a shift by manufacturers to steer more R&D budget towards high-riding wagons rather than the passenger cars that had defined them.

Things got exciting in 2017, especially if you wanted your performance rush on a budget, the Civic Type R topping the list of superb hot hatches and the Kia Stinger bringing some big power rear-drive fun. HSV almost brutal of the lot, the GTSR W1, while Range Rover got all elegant with a new nameplate, Velar. But it was SUVs that stole the limelight, outselling passenger cars for the first time.

Alfa Romeo Giulia – As the first model on the all-new Giorgio platform that also spawned the Stelvio SUV, the Giulia marked the latest rebirth of Alfa and its return to form in the mid-size premium sedan sector, where the piping-hot V6 turbo QV flagship gave the BMW M3 and AMG C 63 plenty to think about.

Honda NSX –the born-again NSX was five years in the making, very expensive for a Honda and strictly limited in numbers. But it also set new benchmarks for a hybrid supercar, at a fraction of the price of pioneering petrol-electric hypercars from Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren.

Land Rover Discovery – While soft-roaders accounted for the bulk of the SUV boom, an all-new Land Rover Discovery showed the British brand hasn’t lost its hard-core magic. Combining space, refinement and capability on-road and off, the Disco was our COTY in 2017.

Mazda CX-5 – There were still flashes of the previous CX-5 beneath the skin, but to buyers a new body and interior signalled the arrival of a largely new model. Significant additions to the active safety kit and equally significant updates to refinement improved on an already successful formula.

The first ever imported Commodore and the first ute from a luxury brand (Mercedes-Benz X-Class) were billed as big business, but both faltered on the sales front. Hyundai blasted onto the hot hatch scene with its i30 N while Subaru’s return to form continued with the latest Forester.

Hyundai IONIQ – As a flagbearer of intent, the IONIQ made a strong statement. Rather than stick to the trusted path of the Toyota Prius, the newcomer from Hyundai offered the choice of regular hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full electric, making it the first car on the market to give buyers a trio of electric choices.

Jaguar I-PACE – The electric revolution may have been coming, but Jaguar beat its established luxury rivals to the Tesla-fighting punch with the I-PACE. A bespoke EV architecture and clever design elements ensured the $120K-plus SUV lived up to CO2-free expectations. That it didn’t shy away from race tracks or dirt tracks reinforced the depth of engineering.

Volvo XC40 – Small luxury SUVs don’t have to be cramped, as Volvo proved with its XC40, which measured up to more expensive rivals on interior space. With impressive safety credentials, a classy cabin and solid driving dynamics, the XC40 reinforced the return to form for the Swedish brand and was our 2018 COTY.

It was the year of the battery and electric motor, with Australia finally benefiting from a smattering of the EV offerings proliferating elsewhere, the MkII Nissan LEAF among the more interesting. But mixed in with the electronic hype were more relevant machines and the luxury segment was also put on notice by newcomer Genesis and Volkswagen with its most high-tech car ever, the third-generation Touareg.

BMW 3 Series – Our 2019 COTY represents a comprehensive return to form from BMW. The best 3 Series for a decade and the new benchmark in its class, the G20 possesses the unique ability to ride and handle at the same time, while also ticking all the boxes for design, refinement and technology.