2017 Car of the Year finalists unveiled- The Skoda Kodiaq & Holden Astra is one of them!

The shortlist for the 2017 New Zealand Car of the Year has been unveiled.

From lower cost small cars loaded with technology to very practical and more expensive luxury vehicles, the breadth of the list means the judges will have a tough time deciding on a winner.

Members of the guild and AA judges who have driven the top 10 cars will independently rank each of them on a number of elements including value, design and quality – the best of which will become the 2017 New Zealand Car of the Year.

Once again, the public has an opportunity to have its say to determine the winner of the New Zealand Car of the Year People's Choice award, with polls opening in November.

In alphabetical order, the top 10 finalists for the 2017 New Zealand Car of the Year are:

·         BMW 5 series
·         Holden Astra
·         Honda Civic hatch
·         Hyundai Ioniq
·         Land Rover Discovery
·         Mazda CX-5
·         Skoda Kodiaq
·         Subaru XV
·         Suzuki Ignis
·         Suzuki Swift

The New Zealand Car of the Year is in two parts. The Car of the Year finalists were chosen by a panel earlier this month. To be eligible, the car must have been released in the New Zealand market between 1 October 2016 and 30 September 2017.

The Best in Class awards are selected from any new car on sale now in each category. This means a make and model released in previous years could beat out a newer car in its class.

The Best in Class categories are:

·         Micro/light car
·         Small/compact car
·         Medium/large car
·         Luxury car
·         Small SUV
·         Medium SUV
·         Large SUV
·         Luxury SUV
·         Utility
·         Sports
·         Electric vehicle/plug-in hybrid

The New Zealand Automobile Association and New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild (NZMWG) will announce the Car of the Year at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland on December 12.

-Stuff NZ