Zfor the first time in the final and won directly: The car of the year 2023 is the electric Jeep Avenger. This was announced at a gala at the Brussels Motor Show in front of around 200 spectators. The Jeep delegation erupted in cheers as the final results were announced.
The award with the original English title “Car of the year” is considered the most coveted in the industry. The award has been given since 1964 and has not been thrown off course by Corona. But the circumstances have become victims of the pandemic. The Geneva Motor Show, which is traditionally held in March, no longer takes place, with the long-standing and valued partner, the voting journalists have lost their traditional place at the award ceremony. The Brussels Exhibition Center immediately offered itself as a stage, and so it is that the award is now being presented in January.
As always, seven finalists went head-to-head in the final round, all of them critically acclaimed new releases. They were chosen by a jury of 57 European specialist journalists in a secret ballot. There were 27 candidates up for election this year.
Car of the year 2023
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Jeep Avenger
It is remarkable that the most innovative models are having an increasingly difficult time, and the prices that are running away apparently frighten some of the jurors. The new BMW 7 Series is certainly one of the technical masterpieces of the season, but it didn’t make it into the final. Only one German manufacturer ever made it there, actually unbelievable considering the economic position of the industry in the world.
Nominated for the Car of the Year 2023 award were, in alphabetical order: Jeep Avenger, Kia Niro, Nissan Ariya, Peugeot 408, Renault Austral, the identical Subaru Solterra and Toyota BZ4X models, and the Volkswagen ID Buzz.
A single German manufacturer
Volkswagen is the only German manufacturer to fly the flag, entering the race with the electrically powered bus, which is based on the historical model. The Technik und Motor editorial team regularly accompanies the election, and the author of these lines is a member of the jury.
In particular, the jury recognized the bold approach of the brand specializing in off-road vehicles, the compact concept and the casual design of the Jeep Avenger. The VW ID Buzz comes in second, the Nissan Ariya completes the podium with third place. All three are electric cars.
The online survey among our readers is also a small tradition, which is very popular and which we started again a few days before the election. If they had their way, the VW ID Buzz would have been Car of the Year 2023. He won the readers’ poll, in which around 2558 participants took part, by a wide margin. (As of Friday, January 13 at 1 p.m.)
Test drives and driving reports from the other finalists
Be Niro
Be Niro
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Image: manufacturer
Nissan Ariya
Nissan Ariya
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Peugeot 408
Peugeot 408
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Renault Austral
Renault Austral
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Image: Martina Göres
Toyota BZ4X
Toyota bZ4X
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Volkswagen ID Buzz
VW ID Buzz
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Bild: German Car of the Year