WHEELS EVENTS
2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid Urban
Chery’s Tiggo 7 plug-in hybrid surprises with strong performance, long electric range and generous safety kit, though its firm ride reminds you it’s built to a price.
2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
BMW’s 2 Series Gran Coupe delivers comfort, polish and familiar driving pleasure, but its somewhat conventional approach failed to truly excite the judges.
2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida
Alfa Romeo’s new Junior hybrid SUV trades the brand’s famous flair for economy and practicality – but left our judges unimpressed by its modest performance and lack of emotional spark.
2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year finalists, 3RD: Toyota GR Corolla
Toyota’s GR Corolla hogged both keys and tyres at COTY, blending rally-bred pace with daily-driver polish, proving Gazoo Racing’s magic lives on in 2025.
2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year finalists, 2ND: MG HS Hybrid+ Essence
MG’s new HS Hybrid delivers unexpected polish, combining refined handling, smooth hybrid performance and impressive value to stand out in Australia’s crowded mid-size SUV field.
2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year WINNER: Honda Civic E:HEV L
It’s back to the future for this year’s winner, not just an excellent Honda, but an exceptional car all round.
Wheels Car of the Year: Every winner since 1963
The honour roll for Australia’s most prestigious and the world’s longest running annual motoring award (some of the cars in this year’s field, pictured).
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
