Chevrolet Captiva V6 -

America has always baffled me and It’s the little things that baffle me most of all. The way the middle classe don’t wear socks, the way they address one another in such loud voices across the hotel swimming pool, the inability they all have to locate themselves, or anyone else, on a map of the world, the love affair with country music, the mullets, the television ad breaks, the way they don’t offer you a cup of coffee or a drink when you go to their houses. I always feel like a civilized human amongst a sea of uncouth individuals.

The strangest thing about America, though, and possibly one of the very the best is that half the cars sold there every year are not cars at all. They’re SUVs.

Now, a pick-up truck, is made by nailing a couple of slabs of pig iron onto a chassis that would be recognizable to the makers of any 19th-century covered wagon. Then you simply add leather seats to make it feel like a premium product, but an SUV is a lot more complex. The theory is a blend of urban city clicker and off road explorer with all the creature comforts one could ask for . So Bluetooth, power electric seats, climate control, sat nav & sun roof. The list continues.

When you have a pick-up, you are not an IT engineer from Vodacom. You are a frontiersman who likes his beer cold, his springbok raw and his music hill billy. An SUV on the other hand is a different story and the new Chevrolet Captiva is in a class of it’s own.
Without further ado, I arranged with Chevrolet to borrow one of its new Captiva models. It arrived sporting 19 inch alloys, skirting trim, chrome roll over bars and leather interior. And it lasted three days before I had to top it up, so fuel economy – not so much. Something to note: This is a V6 and if treated as such the R440 000 range topper is easier to digest.
Where do we start? The ride is more comfortable than the Nissan Quashqai 2 . The performance is spectacular and the space in the back is far from a joke. And it’s all very well pointing at the undeniably large boot. That’s the beauty of the Chev Captiva, it doesn’t look out of place in any situation, whether you are wearing jeans and a T Shirt or a suit and tie – it’s got charisma, stance and energy. And no matter what kind of music you enjoy – hippie hop, Gregorian chants or the karaoke version of umshini wam – the performance sound system will play it flawlessly.
There’s one problem. In it’s last budget, South Africa decided that too many people were using tax-deductible vans and pick-ups as family cars at the weekend. And as a result, those that do will be clobbered.
As a tax-avoidance scheme, then, the SUV days are OVER, which means it must be judged as a vehicle. And I have to say it’s one of the best I’ve ever driven.

Jetta 6

The Jetta has always been a hit in the US, where all six generations have borne the name. This latest one is made in Mexico, but gains Golf-type multiple-link rear suspension, higher-tech engines and fractionally higher perceived quality for Europe.

Not a Volkswagen Golf with a boot any more. Oh no. Get rid of that thought. Well, under its unique skin it broadly is, except that this time the wheelbase grows by 70mm to the great benefit of visual proportions and rear seat space. It's still smaller than a Passat, and apart from a Ford Focus saloon there really aren't many rivals for this size of notchback any more. There's always the Peugeot 408 (a booted 308), but only if you live in China.

All engines have direct injection and a turbocharger. I had the 2.0 TDI with 108kw on tap and a tall-geared five-speed gearbox and BlueMotion economy stuff (109g/km CO2, thank you taxman). We don't get the 1.2 TSI, which is a shame because it's a gutsy little unit. That eco stuff includes stop-start and an alternator which normally charges only when the Jetta is slowing down.

VW says the Jetta is pitched upmarket of the Golf, but you'd never guess. Its dashboard is as dull a design as a dashboard can reasonably be, and the door trims are formed of hard plastic right up to the windowline like a Polo's. A Golf gets padding here, and in a car with any sort of quality pretensions it's essential. The Jetta was conceived as an affordable, high-sales car for the US and these origins are all too clear. At least we are spared the US-spec hard dashboard moulding; ours is padded.

And Depending on what you're comparing it with. Pricing will be similar to that of same-engined Golfs, so you're trading perceived quality for rear space and a boot. A new Ford Focus saloon will feel more sophisticated, – similar size and underpinnings but a long-tailed hatchback – feels more special. Really.

Only that we can't quite grasp what this car is for. It looks quite smart, and will no doubt go down well in Spain and Turkey and other markets which favour saloons. But to us, it's a bit of a social misfit, an American-German car that's clearly cheap to produce. For Volkswagen to try to sell it as a convincing part of the European range will be interesting to say the least.

VW Scirroco R - Discerning car enthusiast .. start your engine ...

If you buy an Aston Martin, you will not be spat at, you will not be given the bird, and you will have a very pretty car. Something you will have many hours to contemplate because, as a general rule, Aston Martins have a habit of not starting if you leave them alone for more than a couple of minutes.

This is the problem. All Mercs, BMWs and Jaguars are seen as too downmarket, too common, too everyman. And all supercars are seen as being too daft, too difficult and too daunting.



Audi? Well maybe, but each time I drive one of their cars I can never quite get it out of my head that I'm in a Volkswagen. It’s like having a Bang & Olufsen stereo. You know that behind the Danish exterior beats a Philips heart. And that sort of spoils the moment.

And since we are talking about VW, allow me to mention the all new Scirroco R. I know you must be thinking how I can possibly mention the German car manufacturer in the same breath as the aforementioned stables but lets not forget that it is VW that have their fingers in Lamborghini, Bughatti & Audi and with those resources at hand, you can always expect something of epic proportions to come along once in a while & this my friends is another winner from the Germanic stable.

So I phoned VW and asked if I could borrow one of their new R415 000 Scirroco R models which comes with fat 19 inch low-profile tyres that look insane, all the while thinking: “Yes, this is it. This is the holy grail. It’s the car the discerning car enthusiast can buy.” And it is!

It is ferociously good looking. From every angle. From the side, especially on its new alloys, it’s an absolute gem. So you’re sitting there in your Scirroco R, swathed in leather as rich as you are, and what makes this so hard to bear for the other drivers is that aggressive and dominant growl of its 2.0 litre turbo charged engine, the two-door sleekness of the design, all of the detailing and the application of it’s 188kw which will take you easily to 300 km/h. I liked the brakes, too, and the handling. It is, truly, a lovely car to drive quickly and something that will keep you staring long after you’ve parked it in the underground car park at your office, especially in the viper green color I had.

With four decent seats, there’s space to carry family or friends (although not perhaps as much rear leg room as you’d expect), while VW’s influence on the dynamics makes it an entertaining steer when you’re driving solo. If that ticks your boxes, the New VW Scirroco R is a compelling proposition.