The AutoWereld editors look back on 2021 on the basis of personal highs and lows of a year of test driving. After Yeelen Möller, Klaas Janssens, Hans Dierckx, Steven Appelmans and Piet Andries, editor-in-chief Alain Devos closes the list.
Car of the Year 2021: Mercedes EQS
Did it really have to be an electric car? There was, of course, not much other news. Well, of course, classic cars (with classic combustion engines) are still being developed, but it is mainly the EVs that are attracting attention. They are now being launched at such a fast pace that I haven’t even been able to test them all yet. So the Mercedes EQS did, and it made an impression. And meanwhile, colleague Steven also tried the AMG variant.
Also fine: The Hyundai Ioniq 5, I am also a fan of the somewhat unusual design of that car. Just like that of the Kia EV6. Their technology is also clever.
Beauty of the Year 2021: Kimera EVO37
I hesitated between a few production cars and concepts, of the latter there were still quite a few in a year without real motor shows. But precisely because it was so difficult to choose, I go for the Kimera EVO37. A beautiful “reissue” of a legendary Lancia, colleague Ton was also allowed to drive it in 2021. And the readers of the paper AutoWereld could enjoy.
Also beautiful: The Audi RS E-Tron GT, so that’s an electric one again… But certainly also the Renault 5 Prototype, hopefully the manufacturer will dare to take it into production. The Citroën C5 X and DS 4 are also handsome. But I am (and remain) a fan of the brand.
Fun Pants of the Year 2021: Porsche 911 GT3
No matter how many sports cars venture onto the field, the Porsche 911 almost always wins in the end. Especially in its GT3 guise. If it’s a little more daring, the new Mercedes SL seems like a nice compromise between sport and comfort. Really something for a man my age.
Also witty: The Italdesign GT-R50, an exclusive toy worth about a million euros. But we did have a test in AutoWereld!
Disappointment of the Year 2021: BMW iX
In its genre, the iX is a great car, but in reality almost even… uglier than in the photo. At BMW they should ask themselves whether they are not letting their designers do “their thing” a little too much. The design may be a reason to buy a car, it should not be a reason not to. As far as I’m concerned, the Lexus NX suffers from the same problem. But didn’t someone say there’s no arguing about tastes and colors…
Also a pity: That the Mercedes C-Class is a smaller variant of the E-Class in terms of looks and therefore even of the S-Class. And that the production version of the BMW i4 no longer resembles the concept at all, it has simply become an electric 4 Gran Coupé.
The promise for 2022: The big EV breakthrough?
In terms of market penetration of electric cars, Belgium is still a bit behind countries such as the Netherlands and, of course, Norway. However, I see more and more people in my area making “the big switch” or at least already forging concrete plans to do so within the foreseeable future. Admittedly, it is still almost all employees who “get” a company car. In any case, electric car sales should really start to rise in 2022.
Also to look forward to: The WRC title battle without eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier and also this one in Formula 1. Will Neuville finally take the title, Verstappen immediately takes second?
Also read:
Alain’s look back at 2014
Alain’s look back at 2015
Alain’s look back at 2016
Alain’s look back at 2017
Alain’s look back at 2018
Alain’s look back at 2019
Alain’s look back at 2020
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