WHEELS EVENTS
Wheels Car of the Year: Every winner since 1963
Australia’s most prestigious motoring award has an eclectic alumni
Robbo’s Notebook: Wheels Car of the Year 2024-25
We asked Peter Robinson for his notes on the ten most intriguing cars at Wheels Car of the Year 2024-25.
Wheels COTY 2024-25 Winner: HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 N
All hail the unanimous winner of Wheels Car of the Year 2024-25, the truly innovative Hyundai IONIQ 5 N – a spectacularly well-realised performance EV destined to put a smile on the face of anyone who gets in one.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: SKODA ENYAQ SPORTLINE RWD
An intriguing concept with some flaws in execution.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: BYD SEALION 6
Fifty grand and change for a plug-in hybrid SUV that’s box fresh and comes with a whole hatful of bells and whistles? That sounds like fighting talk to us.
Wheels COTY 2024-25: Top Six
After a gruelling testing regime at Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria, 25 contenders were whittled down to the final six reviewed here.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: HONDA CR-V VTI-L
There is something resolutely old-school in a good way about the CR-V. It feels solidly engineered.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: MERCEDES-BENZ E300
Let’s start with the good stuff. There’s plenty to like about the W214 E-Class.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: NISSAN QASHQAI TI E-POWER
The Ti spec we chose as the Qashqai range’s COTY contender is the most expensive, at $52,090, which may seem like a disadvantage.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: POLESTAR 3 AWD LONG RANGE
With a cabin as relaxing as a Scandinavian spa, the Polestar 3 exudes a left-field cool.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: KIA EV9 EARTH AWD
Size matters. In the electric vehicle marketplace, they don’t come much bigger than the Kia EV9.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: MINI COUNTRYMAN SE ALL4
If you were wondering which car divided the judging panel the most at this year’s COTY, then you’re looking at it.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: LEXUS LBX LUXURY
Building a beautifully appointed and convincing small car has been a surprisingly tough assignment for many premium manufacturers.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH EV60
A sort of tall-small hatchback crossover SUV, just a single variant is currently offered, the $54,990 Techno EV60.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: TOYOTA CAMRY ASCENT SPORT
The reason this Toyota is Australia’s most popular sedan, our ubiquitous taxi, and is now employed by more ride-share drivers than any other vehicle, is easy to understand.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: TESLA MODEL 3 LONG RANGE
What immediately strikes you on the ride and handling loop is just how impressively sharp the turn-in of the Tesla is and, of course, how much typical EV punch it has in terms of usable acceleration.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: MG4 ESSENCE 64
Here is a vehicle that offers performance, practicality and peace of mind – thanks to a 10-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty – but also changes the value equation and makes buying an EV a viable option for so many people by coming to market from just $37,990.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: MERCEDES-AMG GLC43
The most expensive contender at COTY ’24 and certainly one of the most charismatic.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: HYUNDAI IONIQ 6 DYNAMIQ RWD
Hyundai is quickly building a reputation for the unconventional when it comes to electric vehicles.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: BMW IX2 XDRIVE 30 M SPORT
Steadily and without huge fanfare, BMW has been establishing a reputation for EV leadership among the Euro brands.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: VOLVO EX30 ULTRA
While Volvo has dabbled with electric variants of the XC40, the EX30 is the brand’s first model built on a dedicated electric platform.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 N
The first EV that you’d take for a drive just for the fun of it? That’s what the IONIQ 5 N could well be.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: KIA EV5 EARTH AWD
With the range starting at $56,770 drive-away for the base front-drive Air Standard Range, we chose the mid-spec $68,990 drive-away Earth with its larger 88.1kWh battery, 500km of claimed WLTP range, all-wheel drive and various other extra equipment.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: HYUNDAI SANTA FE CALLIGRAPHY
It’s ironic that Hyundai’s out-of-the-box design theme for the fifth-generation Santa Fe large SUV resembles a box on wheels. This eye-catching aesthetic, which is repeated outside and in, is designed to be exactly that.
