Hyundai takes out AA top car award

The Hyundai i30 Diesel Elite has won this year's AA Supreme Motoring Excellence award, having already topped the compact car category.

The annual awards aim to identify the best new vehicles around and identify areas of concern for motorists.

Judges considered the design, performance, dynamics, practicality, execution, value for money, and safety of the 52 cars nominated.

The winners were:

Compact Car: Hyundai i30 Diesel Elite, $36,990.

Small Car: Fiat 500 1.4 Sport, $32,990.

Medium Car: Ford Mondeo Zetec Diesel, $45,290.

Large Car: Holden Sportwagon SV6, $52,390.

Executive Car: Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI 125, $59,990.

Premium Car: Audi A6 3.0 TFSI, $128,500.

Small Crossover: Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI, $54,490.

Large Crossover: Volvo XC60 DS, $76,990.

Performance Car: Ford Focus XR5 Turbo, $45,990.

The Hyundai i30 Diesel Elite was an excellent and affordable car that performed well in all areas, especially road safety, said AA general manager of technical services, Stella Stocks.

"The Hyundai i30 Diesel Elite closes the gap with Europe's best."

Honda topped the AA's customer satisfaction survey of more than 4000 new car owners, scoring 799 points out of 1000.

The safest car was the Peugeot 308 XSP, having scored the highest score in ANCAP or EuroNCAP crash testing in 2008 for occupant and pedestrian safety for a car available to buy in New Zealand.

It scored 51.3 out of 73 points, giving it a maximum 5 star rating.

The Environmental Car award went to Volkswagen's Polo BlueMotion Diesel.

- NZPA