Wheels Car of the Year
COTY: Past winners
The annual Wheels Car of the Year is one of the world’s longest-running automotive awards, with a history that stretches back to 1963.
That makes our award the grand old age of 60 and in that time a broad spectrum of cars have earned the title, ranging from obvious choices to properly left-of-field. Holden Camira, anyone?
The common thread among all of them, however, is that they were good enough to be judged the best of their time by a panel of Australia’s most seasoned motoring journalists. Here’s the list.
All COTY stories
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.
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: 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.
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: MG HS VIBE
Much has been made about the onslaught of battery electric vehicles from the Land of the Dragon, so fierce that Europe and the US have pulled up the tariff drawbridges.