SOUTH AFRICA - AutoWeek magazine awards the Alfa 4C as its Drivers Car Of The Year 2015

South African newspaper AutoWeek has voted the Alfa Romeo 4C as its Drivers car of the year for 2015.

The 4C emerged victorious over a group of finalists including fourteen new performance-oriented cars launched in the past year and subjected to to an intensive three-day shootout on the road and around a secret test track to ascertain which of those was the most pleasing to drive.

AutoWeek’s Drivers car of the year split the fourteen finalists into three groups: hot hatchbacks, sedans and sportscars to determine a winner of each group; with each winner going through to the podium and the final shootout.

The podium saw the Volkswagen Golf R emerging as AutoWeek’s Drivers hatchback of the year, the BMW M3 selected as the AutoWeek Drivers sedan of the year and the Alfa Romeo 4C chosen as the AutoWeek Drivers sports car of the year.

A further shootout between the three saw the Alfa Romeo 4C emerge as the overall AutoWeek Drivers car of the year 2015.

“None of its rivals came close to 4C’s charm and allure, its cheeky, busy noise and a feeling you will only otherwise get inside a Ferrari 458,” AutoWeek editor Michele Lupini reported.

“But when you take it out on a racetrack and drive it to the absolute limit, there is nothing that comes near. The 4C was the only car that was still beckoning for more – taunting us to seek out the limits.

“This is Drivers car of the year, so a less than genteel entrance or exit to or from a slightly crab-like driving position, or a little extra leather lining make little difference; as much as a questionably sculpted centre console corner and a lack of ultimate build quality don’t really matter either.

“What does matter is how this Alfa Romeo talks to the driver, how you feel when driving it – especially at the limit and how it performs and behaves on the road,” Lupini concluded. “And this little Alfa does all that brilliantly.”

AutoWeek newspaper is on sale as usual throughout South Africa from Thursday 18 December and is also available as a digital issue