Countdown to awards continues

1/9

Ford’s Ranger is part of a three-way battle for the light commercial vehicle title  

2/9

The Hyundai Staria is among the finalists  

3/9

Toyota’s Hilux will come under the scrutiny of judges this year  

4/9

The BMW iX is in contention for the luxury-vehicle prize  

5/9

The Lexus NX is chasing two gongs this year, including one for luxury  

6/9

The Mercedes-AMG EQS has made the final three of the luxury section  

7/9

The Lexus NX is in the running for the safety section  

8/9

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been named in the top trio for the safest car gong  

9/9

Tesla’s Model Y has made the safety shortlist  

The last nine vehicles in contention to win a gong at the AA Driven Car of the Year awards have been announced just days before the winners are due to be announced.

The light commercial section, which includes utes and vans, is a three-way battle between Ford’s Ranger, the Hyundai Staria and Toyota’s Hilux.

In the luxury category of the competition, judges will have to pick their favourite from the BMW iX, the Lexus NX and the Mercedes-AMG EQS.

The Lexus NX is also in the running for the safest car prize and is up against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Tesla’s Model Y. While other categories are judged by the awards’ panel, the safety prize is based on Ancap data.

Organisers of the awards have been announcing the finalists of the numerous categories in the build-up to the winners being announced on December 2.

Cars launched in the past 12 months are the main focus of the contest but other vehicles on sale that have a five-star safety rating are also considered for the honours.

The award categories cover SUVs, clean cars, passenger vehicles, sports and performance models and a people’s choice section.

Finalists

Light commercial vehicles – utes and vans: Ford Ranger, Hyundai Staria, Toyota Hilux 

Luxury: BMW iX, Lexus NX, Mercedes-AMG EQS

Safety: Lexus NZ, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Tesla Model Y