News.com.au tested the best new cars on sale for the 2019 Car of the Year test. Now seven top picks will represent their category in a fight for the overall prize.
Seven cars made the cut as category winners for News Corp Australia’s Car of the Year finale.
Choosing the best new car in a given year is not an easy process.
In previous years, the motoring team picked 10 finalists to face close scrutiny from a team of experienced judges.
This year, a new structure better reflects the preferences of Australian motorists.
Finalists need to have arrived in the past 12 months to be eligible — bestsellers such as the Toyota HiLux aren’t new enough to get a guernsey.
There are no narrow-funnelled classes for luxury or electric cars — they have to beat the competition from a broader range of rivals to be declared a winner. We divided the best new cars into seven categories: small, family and performance cars, plus small, medium and large SUVs, and utes.
Each category was the subject of a three-car comparison test to determine which models should be finalists in our overall Car of the Year awards, with the champion revealed on Friday, December 6.
These are the best new cars in each category:
The small car podium for 2019 has the Mazda3 on top.Source:Supplied
Small Car: Mazda3 G20 Pure
The Mazda3 has a long history of success in Australia. The latest model represents a brave step from the brand, with a sleek approach to styling, a cabin to rival prestige brands and a price structure off-limits to budget buyers.
Crisp looks and a clean cabin make the Mazda3 an impressive package.Source:Supplied
Loaded with safety gear and impressive to drive, the Mazda3 saw off competition from the outgoing Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus ST-Line in April, before knocking off the cheaper Ford Focus Trend and Audi A1 in November.
Many new BMWs are ordinary to drive. The new 3 Series bucks the trend.Source:Supplied
Family Car: BMW 330i
BMW returned to its brilliant best with the new-generation 3 Series. Within five minutes of getting behind the wheel at its Australian launch in April, we knew the car was something special. Since then, several members of our test team have racked up hundreds of kilometres in a car which could represent a high point for the German brand before hybrids and electric models take hold.
As veteran road tester Bill McKinnon put it, “the Ultimate Driving Machine is back”.
“If I didn’t drive other people’s cars for a living, I could be very happy with one of these. Car of the Year material.”
BMW’s sedan finished ahead of the Volvo and Tesla.Source:Supplied
The BMW beat the best-selling Mercedes-Benz C-Class and new Genesis G70in its first comparison test, before taking on serious competition in the Tesla Model 3 and Volvo S60.
It was a close call between the BMW and Tesla — the American car’s performance, tech and driver appeal are hard to beat. But quality and usability niggles let it down, giving the 3 Series a chance to win the overall prize.
The Toyota Supra is fast, polished sports coupe.Source:Supplied
Performance Car: Toyota Supra GTS
Hyundai’s i30 N beat the odds to take an overall COTY victory in 2018, joining the Holden Monaro and Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ in an exclusive club of affordable performance cars to have claimed the crown.
With no affordable performance car debuts this year, our attention turned to three of Europe’s finest: the new Porsche 911 Carrera S, Mercedes-AMG A35 and Toyota Supra.
BMW bits make the Supra a better performance car than the Toyota 86.Source:Supplied
Built in a joint agreement with BMW, the Euro-sourced Supra represents the return of a storied badge while underscoring Toyota’s commitment to building driver-focused cars.
Toby Hagon told readers the Supra “radiates sports car specialness”. The new Supra is fast, fun to drive, and represents reasonably impressive value — especially compared to Porsche’s new coupe, which costs the best part of $300,000 on the road.
Kia’s Seltos is an impressive compact SUV.Source:Supplied
Small SUV: Kia Seltos Sport+
Kia waited a long time to enter the baby SUV segment. Customers should be grateful, because the new Kia Seltos is a cracker.
We compared the Seltos with Audi’s Q3 and the new Hyundai Venue, finding that the Kia combines “a taste of premium tech, performance and refinement for budget-minded buyers”.
Strong value and a polished driving experience helped the Kia Seltos win support.Source:Supplied
The Kia Seltosis an impressive machine, one that deserves a shot at the 2019 title.
Medium SUV: Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid
Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid ticks a lot of boxes for modern families. It’s spacious, well-priced and packed with safety kit. Importantly, in an increasingly environmentally conscious age, it’s also a green champion with impressive fuel economy.
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