VEHICLES with varying ability to conquer beyond-seal conditions are dominating the count of finalists in a showdown to win the national car of the year title.
Of the 10 candidates for the New Zealand Car of the Year award, which has been given out annually by the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild since 1988, just two are not suited for some degree of off road work – these being a pair of small hatchbacks, the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris.
Otherwise it’s between crossovers and sports utilities: In alphabetical order these being the Audi Q3, Kia Seltos, Land Rover Defender, Mazda CX-30, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Peugeot 2008 and Skoda Kamiq.
The 33rd winner of the nation’s most coveted and longest-lived automotive award will be decided by more than 20 journalists, this writer included, representing a wide span of national printed and on-line publications, with announcement on TVNZ’s Seven Sharp current affairs’ programme in early December.
Guild president Richard Edwards, of Auckland, says the announcement will mean a positive finish to 2020 for whichever brand is fortunate to achieve this prize.
“After many tumultuous months full of Covid-related twists and turns, it will be a welcome relief to farewell what has been a challenging period with the announcement.”
He noted that the top 10 reflects the strong influence that SUV and crossover variants now have on the total new vehicle market.
The global coronavirus pandemic had made this a tough year for the car industry, with brand facing supply restrictions. In most years, it was common for more than 50 new models from more than 30 different brands to be released nationally every year, but that rate reduced in 2020.
He said the Guild took great responsibility in determining the winner of its accolade, with voting journalists understanding their determination likely “contributes to and influences the buying decision of many Kiwi motorists.”
“New car buyers can rest assured that the winner is absolutely deserving of the title as it will have undergone extensive testing and excelled across a wide variety of measures, especially when compared with other finalists.
“It takes a very special vehicle to be crowned the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild Car of the Year, an endorsement which represents a significant accomplishment for any new model.”
Comment from the chosen models’ brand representatives is as follows: