New Zealand Car of the Year : 2019

The New Zealand Car of the Year for 2019 by the NZ Motoring Writers Guild has been announced. The ten car list was: The Audi e-tron, Ford Focus, Holden Acadia, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jaguar I-Pace, Mazda 3, Mercedes GLE, Peugeot 508, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota RAV4. To show the change going on in the car industry, three of the ten finalists were BEVs.  No, not Aunt Bev's but rather that means fully electric cars.

The Criteria covered how the vehicle performs its intended role; 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.

The Winner: Jaguar i-Pace.

Guild president Richard Edwards says the I-Pace's innovative design and specification was the determining factors to its selection . "The Jaguar I-Pace is an impressive car. Its unique design offers buyers the chance to have both a sports car and SUV at the same time, while also offering the latest in convenience and safety features."

Picture source: http://www.nzautocar.co.nz/