“The tide is certainly turning, in terms of the types of vehicles being purchased, and we look forward to seeing how Kiwis cast their votes this year.”
Voting remains open at www.driven.co.nz/vote until November 27. Those who vote will have a chance at winning $5000 worth of fuel or charge for their own vehicle.
Nearly 50,000 people cast their vote in last year’s contest, won by the Tesla Model 3.
The contest also includes awards for the best vehicle in certain classes, selected by a panel of motoring journalists and AA experts.
These include categories for passenger, sports and luxury (valued over $100,000) vehicles, as well as separate categories for small, medium and large SUVs.
For the second year running, the clean vehicle category will contain three sub-classes for battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and hybrid vehicles (HEV).
Last year, the overall car of the year award went to the Toyota GR Yaris.
The judges’ finalists will be revealed over the course of the next month on the Zooming with DRIVEN webcast and inside the Weekend Herald’s DRIVEN magazine.
The winners of each category will be announced by DRIVEN on Friday December 2.
DRIVEN magazine editor Dean Evans said the goal of the awards is to aid and inform consumers who are looking to buy their next vehicle.
“Choosing your next vehicle is a big investment and it’s one you want to get right.
“The awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight and celebrate the year’s best in the automotive industry and provide consumers with the information they need to make an informed choice for their next vehicle, whether EV or SUV.”
2022 People’s Choice Finalists, from highest to lowest sales:
1. Ford Ranger
2. Honda Jazz
3. Hyundai Kona II
4. Kia Sportage
5. MG ZS
6. Mitsubishi ASX
7. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
8. Mitsubishi Outlander
9. Mitsubishi Triton
10. Suzuki Swift
11. Tesla Model 3
12. Tesla Model Y
13. Toyota Corolla
14. Toyota Hilux
15. Toyota RAV4
