Wheels today announces its 2025–26 Car of the Year, the result of Australia’s most rigorous and longest-running annual car award. The winner – selected from a field of 20 of the most significant new vehicles on sale – is revealed in the 2025–26 Wheels Car of the Year Yearbook, on stands from Monday, December 15.

The Yearbook is the complete, behind-the-scenes chronicle of how this year’s Car of the Year was decided: the cars that made the cut, the judges who tested them, the venue that pushed every contender to its limits, and the process that distilled a wide and diverse field into a deserving champion. Across three rounds of intensive driving and debate, the Wheels judging panel assessed performance, efficiency, safety, value, innovation, usability and real-world appeal – searching for the car that best represents progress for Australian buyers right now.

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Round One begins with all 20 contenders eligible for the title. After several days of evaluation, the judges determined that a group of cars, while impressive in their own right, did not deliver the overall breadth of ability required to win Car of the Year, reducing the field to eight cars

The Final Round announces the top three, including the 2025–26 Wheels Car of the Year winner. Each finalist surprised the judges during the test days, forcing reassessments, lively debate, and, ultimately, a clear decision. Readers will find the full final-round drive impressions, score breakdowns and the critical moments that separated winner from runner-up.

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Elsewhere in this jam-packed Yearbook, Paul Gover chats with five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan as he reflects on life after racing and his growing business success as he approaches 60 – as competitive as ever, and busier than most.

Our Modern Classic feature this issue sees Scott Newman revisit the HSV Coupe 4, a bold and ambitious Holden-era concept that remains one of the most fascinating “what-ifs” in Australian car-making history.

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First Drives covers the latest arrivals, including the much-anticipated revamp of the Toyota RAV4 (below) with its redesigned cabin and expanded tech; the new, fully electric Mazda 6e; and Ford’s Ranger Super Duty, a ute engineered for owners who need more than urban comfort.

Marketplace brings the latest October 2025 VFACTs snapshot, alongside the Wheels Buyer’s Guide with more than 1900 vehicle prices, specs and reviews updated monthly. Driven to extinction tracks the end of an era, with Ford’s Focus following the Fiesta and Mondeo out of local line-ups.

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The 2025–26 Wheels Car of the Year Yearbook is available Monday, December 15, wherever magazines are sold.

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