NBR Car of the Year Awards 2014

SUPREME CAR OF THE YEAR
The Mazda3 is the National Business Review Supreme Car of the Year.

It’s the third step in a complete renewal of Mazda’s model range, using its SkyActiv powertrain and construction technology. It’s also the most complete and accomplished expression of this new ethos yet, building on the fine CX-5 and Mazda6 models.

The Mazda3 brings state-of-the-art design and engineering to an incredibly broad audience. There are models to suit the mainstream market, business buyers and enthusiasts.

Even the mid-range models have active safety features, such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and reversing camera. The top versions boast lane departure warning, radar cruise control, automatic high-beam control for the headlights, forward obstruction warning and autonomous emergency braking. All versions feature an excellent new infotainment system called MZD Connect.

The Mazda3 impresses not just on equipment but also on driver appeal. Even the entry-level version is an engaging machine but it’s testament to the quality of the chassis that the Mazda3 is also entirely convincing in its sporty SP25 guises.

The latest addition to the range is characteristically bold: a turbo-diesel sports hatch called SP22. It completes an innovative and truly desirable lineup.

• Why did it win? The Mazda3 is the third model in the Japanese brand’s SkyActiv range, after the CX-5 and Mazda6, and easily the most complete. It’s a mainstream car made truly desirable, with cutting-edge styling, engineering and safety equipment. The Mazda3 covers all bases, from entry-level business models to enthusiast-oriented SP models.
• Powertrains: 2.0 and 2.5-litre petrol fours, 2.2-litre turbo diesel. Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.
• Prices: $32,795 (GLX) to $49,195 (SP22).

LUXURY CAR OF THE YEAR
On paper, the Mercedes-Benz C Class is not strictly a luxury car. It competes in the compact-executive arena, with exterior dimensions and pricing appropriate to that class.

In practice, the C Class brings a true luxury experience to its segment: from the stunning S Class-like styling to the impressive range of powertrain, chassis and safety technology on offer, the C Class has become a new benchmark.

The most surprising thing is that this is just the start. The C Class is our winner based on an initial range of four-cylinder models. But there are more powerful and exclusive versions, including the iconic C 63 AMG, to come in 2015.

• Why did it win? The C Class takes the dramatic design and luxury cabin ambience of the flagship S Class and distils it perfectly into a mid-size premium package. The four-cylinder engines available at launch are impressively efficient, with the promise of the high-performance C 63 AMG model to come.
• Powertrains: 2.0-litre petrol four, 1.6 and 2.2-litre turbo-diesels and 2.2-litre turbo diesel hybrid. Seven-speed automated dual-clutch transmission.
• Prices: $71,900 (C 200) to $94,900 (C 300 hybrid).

CROSSOVER OF THE YEAR
The Range Rover Sport benefits enormously from the design and engineering work of its larger sibling, simply called Range Rover.

The Sport employs the same aluminium construction and powertrain technology, which saves weight while giving it even more on and off-road ability. Yet it’s a mistake to think of this model as simply a downsized version of the Range Rover. In fact, 75% of the Sport is unique.

The Sport retains that broad range of talent that only Land Rover seems to be able to achieve: it’s one of the most capable off-road vehicles in its class, yet also one of the most unashamedly luxurious.

To that, the Sport brings an extra dynamic edge that entirely justifies its name. It’s a crossover that’s equally talented in every arena.

• Why did it win? Take the advanced aluminium construction and outstanding on- and off-road abilities of last year’s Supreme Car of the Year, the Range Rover, compress them into a more compact and agile package and you have the Range Rover Sport. It’s another model that demonstrates an incredible range of talents.
• Powertrains: 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6, 4.4-litre turbo diesel V8, 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8. Eight-speed automatic transmission.
• Prices: $125,000 (TDV6 SE) to $185,000 (V8 Autobiography Dynamic).

SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR
Subaru’s mission to take the WRX upmarket has been a success. The car now appeals to a much broader range of people, including those who might previously only have considered European hot hatchbacks.

But just as importantly, that premium feel has been achieved without losing the enthusiast appeal that has made the WRX such a standout sporting model for the past two decades. Of particular interest is the potentially risky move to introduce an automatic-gearbox option to the car. As it transpires, the Subaru Lineartronic Transmission (SLT) enhances rather than undermines the experience.

For the purists there is still the very exciting STI, which comes in manual-only form and is as focused as ever.

• Why did it win? Subaru has taken the raw appeal of the WRX and reinvented it for the modern age. The new model has lost nothing in sheer performance or roadholding ability, yet appeals to a much broader range of buyers, with vastly improved refinement and a new automatic-transmission option.
• Powertrains: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four or 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four. Six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission.
• Prices: $48,990 (WRX) to $64,990 (STI Premium).

PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR
The M3 (sedan) and M4 (coupe) embody BMW’s EfficientDynamics ethos perfectly. The move from V8 to twin-turbo six has endowed the car with 40% more torque, yet it’s also 25% more economical than the model it replaces.

The M3/4 impresses on paper but on road and track it’s still the epic experience you’d expect. The performance is ferocious, the chassis sublime. It’s a car that can adapt to your every mood with the touch of a button but with no compromise in ultimate performance and roadholding abilities when the time comes to justify that iconic M-badge. 

• Why did it win? The BMW M3 has been an icon among performance cars for nearly three decades. The new M3 (sedan) and M4 (coupe) models are lighter and more fuel-efficient than the previous generation, yet faster and more exciting to drive than ever before.
• Powertrain: 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six. Seven-speed automated dual-clutch manual.
• Prices: $159,900 (M3) to $169,900 (M4).

GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) is a groundbreaking machine. For a mainstream price it offers cutting-edge electric-powertrain technology, with the ability to operate as a pure electric vehicle (EV range 50km), range-extended EV or full hybrid, with the petrol engine driving the front wheels and the electric motor at the back.

Even more remarkable is that the PHEV package is delivered in a way that requires no special driving skill and entails no compromise to the Outlander’s role as a five-seat sport utility vehicle.

The PHEV is a fitting flagship for the Outlander range and a landmark model for the New Zealand car market.

• Why did it win? The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the car that brought plug-in electric powertrain technology into the mainstream. It offers zero-emissions commuting potential when required but still serves as a no-compromise SUV, with similar range and cabin space to other Outlander models.
• Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid with 2.0-litre petrol four and twin electric motors.
• Prices: $59,900 (XLS) to $66,900 (VRX).