OPENERS CAR Selection 2012 | Toshihumi Watanabe

2012's Five Cars for OPENERS CAR Readers

OPENERS CAR Selection 2012: Toshifumi Watanabe Edition

The OPENERS CAR editorial team asked six of the writers who shaped OPENERS CAR in 2012 to look back on the year and select five cars they want OPENERS readers to pay attention to. Here are Toshifumi Watanabe's top five picks!

Text by WATANABE Toshifumi

The Year of Diesel

While there were no spectacular, grand fireworks in the Japanese market, 2012 felt like a year of steady evolution for more accessible products. Overall,Diesel, which I personally advocated for from an energy mix perspectivehas truly gained widespread acceptance, which is deeply gratifying.

Undoubtedly, Mazda's "CX-5" contributed most to this. Despite their precarious position in terms of scale, their passion for creating good cars is unmatched, and they have generated far more positive response than anticipated with their diesel push. Considering Mercedes' pioneering efforts in opening up the diesel market five to six years ago, 2012 can undoubtedly be called the year of diesel. Of course, we must not forget BMW's strong support.

The Japanese market, having gained diesel as a new option alongside hybrids, will continue to evolve with greater diversity next year. Furthermore, the impact of the "up!," discussed later, is bound to influence Japanese products to some extent. I personally have high hopes for Japanese cars that will emerge from these synergies. It will likely take about two more years for Japanese manufacturers, who have been heavily reliant on hybrids, to introduce internal combustion engines with technology comparable to their European rivals. While there are concerns about Japan's automotive industry becoming a Galapagos, isolated from global trends in areas beyond weak electronics, it won't easily falter. I feel this potential in my daily reporting.

Next year and beyond, that vitality will begin to emerge. The true moment to compete with them will be in 2014-15. My outlook on Japanese cars is certainly brighter than last year.

Toshifumi Watanabe's Top 5 Picks for OPENERS Readers in 2012

Volkswagen up!
フォルクスワーゲンアップ！

How to skillfully package the A-segment, which is constantly battling cost constraints, has always been a forte for Japanese cars, which typically offer everything from mini to one-liter classes. For VW, however, both the "Lupo" and "Fox" were commercial failures, almost a trauma. The up! has brilliantly overturned that. In terms of dynamic quality, no Japanese car in its class can match it. Moreover, its small-displacement three-cylinder engine is a Japanese specialty. In terms of the positive impact it has had on Japanese manufacturers, it is personally my top pick of the year.

SUBARU IMPREZA
スバルインプレッサ

We in this line of work often find ourselves saying that while Japanese manufacturers offer many cars with average levels of dynamics and comfort, truly exceptional ones are rare. But when a car like this comes along, it really spurs us on. It shows they can do it when they try. I believe its drivability is top-tier among all Japanese front-wheel-drive daily cars. It also offers iSight, and personally, it's the car I'd most want to buy for my parents.

BMW 3 Series
ビー・エム・ダブリュー 3シリーズ

Whatever their strategy, the new 3 Series clearly demonstrates how serious BMW is about improving environmental performance. I was surprised not only by the quality of the product but also by the unreserved product rollout in the Japanese market, which isn't particularly lucrative in terms of volume, with both full hybrid and diesel versions introduced simultaneously with the full model change. While these two variants tend to steal the spotlight, the standard 320i's fuel efficiency and the excellent MT version made it a car with no shortage of talking points – a top pick.

Porsche Boxster
ポルシェボクスター

For Porsche, 2012 was a pivotal year, occurring perhaps once a decade, with the full model change of both the 911 and Boxster, their pillars and shared destiny. I'm highlighting the Boxster here because its ambitious refresh, which successfully balances the purity of a sports car with luxury, has been executed brilliantly. Its overall perfection will likely set the benchmark in the sports car segment, making it my top pick.

Lexus LS
レクサス LS

In the luxury sedan segment, where premium brands clash, this year felt somewhat subdued. However, Toyota undertook an uncharacteristically thorough minor change for the LS. As Lexus's flagship, it has finally reached a level comparable to its European rivals, without any local favoritism. While competitors like the S-Class will undergo a full model change in '13 and show no signs of slowing down, the LS, along with the GS which was fully redesigned this year, signifies Lexus's return to serious competition, earning it my top Japanese car pick for the year.