Finalists announced for NZ Car of the Year 2025

Ten finalists have been announced for the 2025 edition of New Zealand’s most prestigious automotive prize, the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild Car of the Year award.

Representing automotive brands from Asia, the Americas and Europe, the finalists span a wide range of vehicle styles, but with SUVs and crossovers to the fore, and either full or partial electric power all but ubiquitous. Six of the 10 vehicles are only available in fully-electric guise, two land here only as hybrids, one is sold as either a hybrid or a petrol, and just one is solely powered by petrol.

AutoMuse’s founder, Liz Dobson, is one of the judges for this award.
Shortlisted from some three dozen all-new models released in the past twelve months, the 10 finalists to scoop this year’s New Zealand Car of the Year crown are, in alphabetical order:

• Audi A5

• Cadillac Lyriq

• Geely Starray EM-i

• Kia EV3

• Mercedes G580

• MG QS

• Mini Aceman

• Nissan Ariya

• Subaru Forester

• Volkswagen ID. Buzz

The Cadillac Lyriq, Kia EV3, Mercedes G580, Mini Aceman, Nissan Ariya and VW ID. Buzz are all pure electric vehicles. The Geely Starray EM-i is a plug-in hybrid, and the Subaru Forester is available as both a pure-petrol and self-charging hybrid. The MG QS is the only finalist sold here as a pure petrol model.

“While electrification is a common feature of all but one of the finalists, they otherwise represent significant variety,” says NZ Motoring Writers' Guild president Matthew Hansen.

“There are conventional cars, SUVs, and even – with the ID Buzz – a contemporary interpretation of the classic VW Kombi.

"The Subaru Forester is the new generation of the model that won 2018 NZ Car of the Year honours in its previous generation, the Kia EV3 is the current World Car of the Year, and the Cadillac Lyriq and Geely Starray EM-i are the first models from those brands to make the cut as New Zealand Car of the Year finalists.

"To have such a mixture of different price points, silhouettes and carmakers present amongst this year's nominees underlines the exciting and fluid state of the motoring industry in 2025."

There is a wide spread of price points represented by the finalists, with three models available for under $50,000, and three carrying six-figure price tags.

The award’s winner will be decided by the Guild’s voting members over the coming months and announced on TVNZ One’s Seven Sharp programme in February.

Guild members assess the finalists on a specified range of criteria spanning how the vehicle performs its intended role; its styling, interior design and accommodation; fit, finish and quality; ride and refinement; performance; road-holding and handling; value for money; active and passive safety and environmental responsibility.

NZCOTY is the country’s longest-running motoring award. Having been delivered annually since 1988, it is the only fully national motoring prize and is also celebrated for being free from commercial involvement. The current holder is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.