People across America are celebrating Thanksgiving today – and while this year things are not the same due to the devastating coronavirus pandemic, we gather most will be with their immediate family to celebrate
This, in part, is what we’re planning to do too, so we can taste some turkey and take some time off, although Carscoops will be up and running at a reduced capacity today. Talking of turkeys, we decided to take a look back at the year so far and see which cars deserve this, rather unflattering, title. So, without further ado, this are our picks.
BMW M3 / M4
We have no doubt that the M Division’s latest creations will be fun to drive, go like stink and handle, well, as we’ve come to expect an M car should. However, even if we wanted to, we can’t turn a blind eye to their design – and more specifically those hideous oversized grilles.
Granted, huge grilles are a trend these days in the automotive industry and almost everyone, from Audi to Lexus and anyone in between, is following suit. What makes the Bimmers’ stand out, however, is the execution. At best, it jars with the rest of the design; at worst, it’s one of the most disappointing styling choices of the year and has, unsurprisingly, raised an uproar among car fans, journalists and designers alike.
Plus, it’s not going to be a one-time thing; the iX electric SUV is proof of that. We guess sales figures will eventually show if this was the right decision, although patronizing critics on social media doesn’t strike us as something very clever.
Aznom Palladium
Now here’s something that will make you forget BMW‘s grilles. Officially, it’s “a hyper-limousine capable of traversing any terrain” – which, given its underpinnings (more on that in a minute), might be true. The thing is that the Italian coachbuilt model literally looks like the offspring between a luxury sedan with a pickup truck. Not a marriage made in heaven, that one.
The Palladium, for all its luxury gear and Rolls-Royce Phantom-like front end, is in fact based on the Ram 1500. And if you can’t tell so from the outside, the dashboard, even with its new, plush trim, is a dead giveaway. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, since Aznom offers a number of amenities such as a liquor cabinet, on-board refrigerator, ambient lighting, multi-zone climate control, and a premium audio and infotainment system.
It also offers a bi-turbo 5.7-liter V8 with around 700 HP, so it’s really fast, sprinting from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds. Still, we can’t get over those looks, even though the company might indeed find 10 customers (the car’s production run) who will find the Palladium to their taste.
Chrysler & Dodge Lineup
Putting the C in FCA, Chrysler (and sister brand Dodge) suffers from a very limited (and shrinking) range. With almost everyone pulling out of passenger cars and turning to SUVs, it is refreshing to see someone that doesn’t follow that route. With that being said, their model of choice, namely the 300, is nine-years-old, which is a very long time in the automotive world – and the competition has moved on. Sure, the sedan has been updated a few times, the latest being for the 2021 model year, but if it looks old it’s because… well, it is old.
Then there’s the Pacifica, an admittedly pretty competent minivan that also comes as a hybrid, and then the Voyager, which is pretty much a pre-facelift, entry-level Pacifica – and that’s it: one passenger car and two (almost identical) minivans. Doesn’t make for a big range, does it?
As for Dodge, after killing off the Grand Caravan and the Journey last summer, its lineup comprises of the Challenger, Charger and Durango that date back to 2008 (the Challenger) and 2011 (the other two). Still, despite their age, sales are good, with the Challenger outselling both the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, but we can’t help but think that a performance-oriented brand, as Dodge labels itself, newer hardware would be better.
So, these are our turkey picks for 2020. Feel free to share your thoughts, as well as your choices, in the Comments section right below.