DYou don’t have to win the most coveted prize in the automotive industry. But you can. As long as you get to the final. Achieving this can count as a win, as only seven models from the numerous new releases each year make it there. And the jury is always good for surprises, even ones that hurt.
Under the chairmanship of Ola Källenius, Mercedes-Benz has set itself the goal of becoming a luxury brand on the level of Chanel, Rolex or Louis Vuitton. On the way there, the entry-level A-Class model is even sacrificed. They also build truly fine cars in Stuttgart, such as the new E-Class. Nevertheless, it was not possible to convince the jury of 59 European specialist journalists from 22 countries. The E-Class was still on the longlist of 28 candidates, but of course it didn’t make it to the final of the best seven. That shouldn’t, that shouldn’t happen to Mercedes-Benz. Volkswagen competed with the electric ID 7 and didn’t make it past the preliminary round.
Small sensation
Meanwhile, a manufacturer from China is creating a small sensation; the up-and-coming electric brand BYD has made it to the final with its luxury model Seal. There she will of course face strong opponents in the race for the title. We are talking about the Car of the Year award, the award that has been given out since 1964 and which translates as Car of the Year.
The candidates for the Coty 2024 prize are, in alphabetical order: BMW 5 Series, BYD Seal, Kia EV 9, Peugeot 3008, Renault Scénic, Toyota C-HR, Volvo EX 30.
Voting for the finals was carried out by secret ballot. Only the evaluation in the final will be published. One can therefore only speculate about the motives up to this point. The purchase price, for example, which, if particularly high, is seen as an obstacle for some people. Since the 5 Series from BMW is included, this criterion may not have been decisive this year.
Sympathy shouldn’t play a role
There are members of the jury who see the rejection of more expensive cars as a mistake, as innovation usually comes through from top to bottom. Sympathy should not play a role, but rather technical finesse and possibly also design. In principle, each juror is free to form his or her opinion; the award is not sponsored by the industry; it also derives its significance from its transparency and independence.
Now it’s time to take a closer look at all the finalists again. Each juror must have tested each model extensively. Joint test drives will take place under the same conditions in mid-February. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on February 26, 2024. The current award winner is the Jeep Avenger, which won the most recent election before the VW ID Buzz.
The Technology and Motor editorial team regularly supports the election; the author of these lines is a member of the jury. A small tradition is the online survey among our readers, which is very popular and which we will start again here about a week before the winner is announced.
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