This year was an exciting one for new arrivals onto the nation’s forecourts. So here are the Top Five cars that rolled out in 2011.
Range Rover Evoque
It took a while for us to get used to the Range Rover Evoque when we first got a glimpse at it back in April. It wasn’t like any Range Rover we’ve seen before so you could excuse us for thinking it would be big, boxy and bulky.
But it’s not big, boxy and bulky at all. It’s not even that small. As Goldilocks would say: “it’s bang on f***ing target mate” or “just right”, whatever. The smaller-than-usual back on the Evoque makes it look even sportier then the Range Rover Sport and certainly the coolest 4×4 crossover we’ve seen this year.
Nissan Juke
Again, like the Evoque, we weren’t too sure about the Juke when we first saw it. However, no matter what you say about your ex, you can learn to love something that’s butt ugly. Well, butt ugly is a bit harsh – it’s not the worst looking car in the world. The manufacturing of the Nissan Juke-R showed us new potential for the Juke in years to come and the fact that it drives like a dream makes it one of the top cars of 2011.
BMW 1 M Coupé
BMW is one of the most iconic motoring brands the world over. Known for their sleek design, German reliability and tremendous power BMW certainly knows how to make one heck of a car. That’s exactly what they done with the new BMW M 1 Coupé; they made one heck of a car. The M series BMW’s are always that little bit more expensive but it’s well worth it and the M1 proves that. The small car produces 335bhp and its six-speed manual gearbox allows for hours of endless fun doing burnouts and what not. Not too bad on straights or corners either, so that’s also a plus.
Citroen DS3
The Citroen DS3 is one of the coolest hatches to ever hit the road and we’re just annoyed it couldn’t come any sooner. The level of customisation in the DS3 is amazing as it even allows you to choose different multi-coloured rooftops. Inside the car it feels like you’re driving a saloon, well, something that’s definitely bigger than a hatch. The sporty looks and feel makes the DS3 the hottest hatch of 2011 and one of the hottest to ever come out of Citroen.
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is classed as a supermini due to (obviously) its small size. But just as you reassured yourself back when you were 17, size doesn’t matter, it’s the performance that counts. For a small car, the Rio looks great. You could imagine anyone driving it, be it a teenage girl or a 16st. prop forward. It was voted the Continental Irish Car of the Year for 2011 and it’s not hard to see why. It might be small but it’s easy to drive (and maintain for that matter) and it’s as comfortable to drive as anything €10,000 more expensive.
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