The “German Car of the Year” (GCOTY) is being voted on for the fourth time, and five candidates are once once more fighting for the coveted title. In Bad Dürkheim, the test cars were ready for test drives on the demanding roads in the east of the spa town, where the legendary Rallye Vorderpfalz was once held. The jurors set up camp at the partner KST engine test, and from there the five applicants were sent out onto the track for the various assessment drives.
The 27 independent motor journalists on the jury had previously evaluated all new releases for 2022 in an online survey. The Opel Astra prevailed in the “Compact” class with a starting price of 30,000 euros, while the Genesis GV60 won the “Premium” segment with a limit of 60,000 euros. The Range Rover from Land Rover won the “Luxury” category, while the Ferrari 296 GTB took first place in the “Performance” category. In the “New Energy” class, which brought together all vehicles with alternative drive systems, the jury voted the electric ID Buzz from Volkswagen top. Surprisingly, there are no class winners from German premium brands. Neither BMW, nor Mercedes or Porsche were able to win one of the categories.
After the two-day test drives, the jurors were able to give their evaluations with profound knowledge. They made their judgments in the categories of design, driving pleasure, safety, costs and connectivity, among other things. The overall winner will be announced at the end of November, and then it will be clear who will be awarded the title “Car of the Year 2023” in Germany.
It is already becoming apparent today that Ferrari or the Range Rover only have a slim chance of winning. The 269 GTB is a thoroughbred sports car that offers a lot of driving pleasure, but with its limited space and hardly any everyday qualities. And the Range Rover can make no secret of its massive, oversized format on the narrow streets and through towns in the Vorderpfalz. The finalists will probably be the Opel Astra, which is also available in a plug-in hybrid version as a successfully designed all-rounder, the Genesis GV60 as a highly potent electric car and the VW ID Buzz with its retro design.
The title winners were already electrified in previous years. The Jaguar I-Pace won the premiere of the GCOTY election in 2019, followed by the Porsche Taycan in 2020. In 2021 the Honda e received the laurel wreath, last year the also electrically powered Hyundai Ioniq 5 took first place. (Michael Kirchberger/cen)