D3 & 4x4 of the Year Award

**noddy** · 12th January 2005, 08:38 AM

I might be counting the chicks before they hatch, but anyway...

The current edition of 4x4 Australia has outlined the field of 11 cars in the running for their Car of the Year, including 2 D3s.

The field includes:

Kia Sorento
D3 V8
D3 TDV6
Pajero 3.8
Patrol 3.0TD
Ssangyong Rexton 2.7
Ssanyong Musso Sport
Ssangyong Korando
Prado V6 (6 speed manual)
Prado V6 (5 speed auto)
VW Toureg R5

As you might have gathered, they have excluded all new vehicles without a low range, including the Ford Territory. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

They then knocked this field of 11 down to 6. I am assuming they went for something like:

D3 V8
D3 TDV6
Patrol 3.0TD
Prado (manual)
Prado (auto)
VW?

Now if the D3 cannot bowl over the VW and Patrol 3.0TD on their criteria
I would be seriously surprised.

That leaves it against the two Prados....this is where I get nervous about 4x4 Aust having the balls to go against the Toyo marketing budget and advertising. However, if a brand new model cannot beat the Prado (which is now 2 years old) we have a problem. Pricing could be a problem.

On that basis....LRA should have the basis for a great marketing campaign to launch the new D3 in March [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

No excuse for LRA to stuff up D3 sales!

**VladTepes** · 12th January 2005, 08:40 PM

Will be very interesting....

disco95 · 12th January 2005, 08:44 PM

The way I see it is that pricing will be the only downfall.

**hiline** · 12th January 2005, 10:21 PM

starting price of around $72,000 on road 8O 8O

**Ace** · 12th January 2005, 10:50 PM

You have to remember noddy they score them on value for money. As they said in the article a range rover could score higher in this category than a rav 4, due to more bells and whistles for the dollar, of course it is more complicated than that, but they assess the pricing on what you get for youre hard earned cash. I think the D3 will be ok, after all its far more technologically advanced than the Prado. Matt

**noddy** · 12th January 2005, 11:02 PM

There is no doubt that value for money is its weak point, but I am backing that it should take the money on all the other criteria which are:

- Breaking Ground
- Built Tough
- Doing the Job
- Bush-ability (could be a bit of a problem, especially with LRA closing all there dealerships, but the Prado is also chock full of electrics).

**Ace** · 12th January 2005, 11:04 PM

If it doesnt score full marks in Breaking Ground, i will be convinced that they dont want it to win. Matt

**noddy** · 12th January 2005, 11:07 PM

I think the criteria is a bit of a crock....what is the difference between 'built tough' and 'bushability'?

Cannot remember under which criteria their 'ergonomic' chestnut resides....

I think it is a sad reflection that there were only 11 new vehicles with low range. How they can consider the Musso new, one can only wonder.

**LRHybrid100** · 13th January 2005, 08:10 AM

Originally posted by Noddy
I think it is a sad reflection that there were only 11 new vehicles with low range. How they can consider the Musso new, one can only wonder.

Musso - 10+ years old and using 20+ year old Merc technology, typical of the Koreans.

LRH

**LRHybrid100** · 13th January 2005, 08:12 AM

Originally posted by Noddy
There is no doubt that value for money is its weak point, but I am backing that it should take the money on all the other criteria which are:

- Breaking Ground
- Built Tough
- Doing the Job
- Bush-ability (could be a bit of a problem, especially with LRA closing all there dealerships, but the Prado is also chock full of electrics).

Don't forget the Prado gets pricey once you have got some decent specs.

LRH

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