THE BEST Passenger and Sports/ Performance cars, 2022
We’re continuing to reveal the finalists in the AA DRIVEN New Zealand Car of the Year awards for 2022 — and rapidly getting towards the big reveal of the class winners and overall victor.
This week we’re looking at two extremes of the automotive spectrum: the Passenger and Sports & Performance classes. As with other categories, the focus is on cars launched in the last 12 months, but in fact we have considered all cars available to purchase as long as they have a five-star crash rating.
Passenger
The NZ new-vehicle market is dominated by utes and SUVS these days, which has pushed what we might call “traditional” genres off to the side. But while hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and people-movers might no longer be the default choice for Kiwi buyers, there are still plenty of highly accomplished and exciting models on offer — and plenty of buyers who don’t necessarily need or want to be riding high.
That’s why we choose to consider these family-focused together in a segment we call Passenger.
The Honda Jazz is a favourite supermini for its versatility, incredible space efficiency (thanks partly to Honda’s unique Magic Seat configuration) and a model range that ticks a lot of boxes through just three basic specifications.
There is conventional petrol power in both entry Life hatch and Suv-style Cross Star versions, plus the hugely successful and very high-tech E:HEV hybrid.
There’s more than a hint of SUV in the
Kia EV6, but ultimately we reckon it stands out as a sharply styled family fastback. We love the advanced pure-electric powertrain, impressive quality and luxury-car equipment.
The Volkswagen Multivan T7 plug-in hybrid blends the sheer space and practicality of a people mover with the driving character and refinement of a car — because that’s what it is underneath. The latest Multivan has shed its light commercial roots and is now based on the same platform and technology as the Golf and Skoda Octavia (which is also where it gets its PHEV powertrain).
These are three very different cars, but they also have quite a bit in common.
They’re all also finalists in other AA DRIVEN Car of the Year categories: the Jazz in HEV, the EV6 in BEV and the Multivan in PHEV. So they’re all Clean Cars as well.
Sports & Performance
There’s always room to celebrate the more indulgent side of the new-vehicle market: sports and performance cars that put driving pleasure above all else.
The new BMW M240i brings a bit of the brand’s traditional flavour to the latest technology package. There’s a lusty sixcylinder engine and even though it’s AWD, it really does have the feel of a traditional RWD model when you’re pressing on.
The Chevrolet Corvette C8 is a landmark model for the maker: the first in the line to have a mid-mounted engine. It’s also a landmark model for countries like NZ: the first Corvette designed and produced from the factory in right-hand drive. We love the supercar looks and beautifully balanced handling. We especially love the new 6.2-litre V8 and sporty, responsive chassis. It’s as much driver’s delight as American muscle car.
But small can be smart, too. Hyundai’s
N division has taken the compact Hyundai Kona SUV and turned it into a hugely entertaining hot hatch. The crackling 2.0-litre engine and eight-speed wet-clutch transmission deliver a high-octane experience, but it’s a performance machine that also has a sense of humour.
Case in point: hit the N-mode button and the digital instrument panel bursts into virtual flame.