NZ Car of the Year unveils last finalists
Audi has made two appearances as the last remaining finalists vying for honours at the AA Driven New Zealand Car of the Year have been announced.
The marque’s Q5 will go up against models from Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz in the luxury category, while its e-tron GT is a contender in the sports and performance section alongside cars from BMW and Toyota.
New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) motoring platform Driven has gradually been announcing the finalists for the 10 categories throughout November.
The annual awards were cancelled last year because of Covid-19 but return in 2021 with a few changes.
Cars launched in the past 12 months have been the main focus for judges but all vehicles on sale with a five-star crash rating have been considered.
The classes for awards include small SUV, medium SUV, large SUV, passenger (sedan, hatch, wagon), light commercial vehicle, clean and green (battery electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid, traditional hybrid), sports and performance, luxury (over $100,000), and safety.
There is also a People’s Choice Award, which remains open for votes until 5pm on November 30.
Finalists
Luxury: Audi Q5, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mercedes-Benz EQC
Sports and performance: Audi e-tron GT, BMW M3 (sedan) and M4 (coupe), Toyota GR Yaris
Safety: Seat Leon, Subaru Outback, Toyota Highlander
