A delicate judgment of four brands on feel and accessories

• Three vehicles are out to steal the throne that Toyota has laid claim to for decades. It is the benchmark here and despite its drop to number three in global sales, Corolla is certainly the model to beat locally.
• In the red corner we have Europe’s new favourite, a flame red Ford Focus. In the green corner is the Chevrolet Cruz, America’s finest and in the blue corner is the Renault Fluence.
• Each of the vehicles retails for about Sh2.5 million with the exception of the Ford Focus that goes for Sh2.9 million.

It’s 5.30am and a long exciting day beckons. My intention is to capture a silhouette of four vehicles with Nairobi’s breath taking sunrise.

This group test involves 333kW of power, a 775kph combined top speed and a price tag of Sh10.4 million.

This is the kind of day boyhood dreams are made of. This 300 plus power will be split among four formidable rivals. The clock is ticking and my crew must be back by sunset.

We set off towards Athi River for the first part. The thick cloud cover denies us a good shot of the sunrise but that shall not dampen my spirit.

Four drivers take their place: Trevor sprints for the Ford Focus, citing its rally heritage. The rest settle for the Cruz and Toyota. I settle for the newest kid on the block.

So, who shall be crowned king? Three vehicles are out to steal the throne that Toyota has laid claim to for decades. It is the benchmark here and despite its drop to number three in global sales, Corolla is certainly the model to beat locally.

In the red corner we have Europe’s new favourite, a flame red Ford Focus. In the green corner is the Chevrolet Cruz, America’s finest and in the blue corner is the Renault Fluence.

Each of the vehicles retails for about Sh2.5 million with the exception of the Ford Focus that goes for Sh2.9 million.

All have a 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine except the Toyota, which has a 1,800cc unit under the hood. I am not too keen on performance as it should not be a key buying decision in this case. Fuel economy and price are.

I was excited immediately I got behind the wheel. For starters, the hands-free keycard unlocks the doors while still in my pocket.

I take my seat and press the start-stop button and the 1598cc, 81 kW engine comes to life. It is an impressive start to a great day of driving affordable cars.

The Fluence has a friendly dashboard and everything is neatly laid out with just a few switches and good use of high quality material. It is the only car here that features Bluetooth hands free.

It sits highest off the ground in this quartet and this affects its composure on the open road and at corners. The steering is so light it feels like a bicycle. While its suspension soaks in rough sections well, it communicates with displeasure at every pothole.

In the same rough environment, the Chevy Cruz and the Ford Focus were much better. On the highway the Ford remains even more focused than the Toyota.

The Cruz too seems well tuned to conquer the rougher surfaces and glides over loose gravel and corrugated sections just like the premium brands.