Charge of the EV brigade
The shift has arrived and, for the first time in New Zealand, almost one-third of the 10 finalists in the AA and NZME’s Driven Car of the Year awards are electric or hybrid.
As the most exhaustively tested and thoroughly evaluated car of the year programme, this year’s AA Driven New Zealand Car of the Year Awards will pinpoint NZ’s standout best, plus a range of Best in Class models.
The awards also invite the public to have their say, with the popular, publicly voted People’s Choice Award powered by Driven.
All the winners will be announced in the December 14 issue of Driven.
A panel of judges drawn from the country’s best motoring journalists and the AA selected the
top 10 vehicles, which this year feature an eclectic mix of sports cars, sedans, hatches, GTs and SUVs, spanning a range of classes and prices including two pure electric vehicles (Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model 3), and the petrol/electric hybrid Toyota RAV4, the most popular variant in the range.
In alphabetical order, the 10 finalists for the 2019 AA Driven
New Zealand Car of the Year are: BMW 3 Series
Ford Focus
Holden Acadia
Jaguar I-Pace
Mazda3
Peugeot 508 Renault Megane RS
Tesla Model 3
Toyota RAV4
Toyota Supra
Chief judge and Driven editor at large Liz Dobson said the judging panel was impressed with the variety of vehicles that stood out this year. “From everyday-use family vehicles to luxury, sports performance and hot hatches, and prices from $31,990 [Ford Focus] to $144,900 [Jaguar I-Pace], there’s a great mix of vehicles in this year’s top 10,” she said.
AA Motoring Services general manager Stella Stocks said the finalists had been evaluated on open and closed roads. Each was put through the same set of exercises that saw judges scoring across key parameters.
“To top it off, Kiwis can see the testing process with video content from the trials, including judges’ commentary,” Stocks said.
“We are confident that the AA Driven New Zealand Car of the Year Awards are the country’s most comprehensive motoring awards, and that motorists will be provided definitive answers on the top vehicles in the market today.”