And the winner is… it’s been a tough year, obviously, and with that in mind, the AA DRIVEN NZ Car of the Year for 2020 was put on hold. With two days of comparative testing of the top 10 finalists across a range of on- and off-road tests, the Ford Focus won the title in 2019, but with Covid claiming time and budgets, the AA DRIVEN NZ COTY will return for 2021.
However, the other parallel “NZ COTY” did indeed run. Selected by members of the NZ Motoring Writers’ Guild across the country - including three DRIVEN staff – votes are formed from extended drives throughout the year.
On Seven Sharp last night, the winner was announced by Hillary Barry and Jeremy Wells. From the 10 finalists - Audi Q3, Ford Fiesta, Kia Seltos, Land Rover Defender, Mazda CX-30, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Peugeot 2008, Skoda Kamiq and Toyota Yaris – the highest scoring car for 2020 is the Mercedes-Benz EQC.
Says Richard Edwards, Guild president: “If you look at where the EQC fits into the broader Mercedes-Benz range on size, specification and performance, its [$142,900]price is not out of place at all.”
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Mercedes-Benz Cars New Zealand general manager Lance Bennett says the team is honoured to accept the New Zealand Car of the Year: "New Zealanders love their SUVs… and we believe the EQC offers a new way to do this with everything our customers expect from a Mercedes-Benz SUV – including refinement, safety, style and practicality – plus the added benefits of near-silent EV power.”