TEMPLATE – Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Vehicle Under $999K contenders announced
Here is every new or updated model eligible for the Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Vehicle Under $999K category.
Drive Car of the Year 2025
Now in its 20th year, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards program continues to be the Australian new car buyer’s most-trusted advisor.
At Drive, we test drive more than 200 new cars every year, evaluating each against its innate promise to sort the best from the rest. We divide the 400-plus new passenger cars, SUVs, 4WDs and utes into 19 price-banded categories focused on the end-user. Then we analyse the strengths and weaknesses of every car to find the cream of the automotive crop.
Drive Car of the Year 2025 is a go!
Drive Car of the Year 2025: Best Vehicle Under $999K
Give an introduction to the category.
Why is it important? What are the judges looking for in this category?
Include mention of what won the category last year.
Provide a top-level overview of the contenders. Anything noteworthy, e.g. a new generation of a popular model, any all-new nameplates, or vehicles from new-to-market brands?
FAQs
Which cars are eligible for this category?
Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:
- Be all-new or significantly updated.
- Be on sale with customer deliveries commenced by 31 December 2024.
- Retail examples be made available for Drive to road test before that cut-off date.
- Pricing cut-offs exclude discounts and limited-time offers.
| Contenders | Not here in time |
| – Cars that are all-new or significantly updated since they last contested Drive Car of the Year. – New categories are open to all cars that fit category requirements. – Last year’s winner is an automatic inclusion. | – These cars meet category requirements, but are not due to arrive in time for Drive Car of the Year 2025 judging. |
What are the next steps?
The winner of the 2025 Drive Car of the Year Best Vehicle Under $999K will be announced in February 2025.
Before then, we will announce the finalists, all of which deliver CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS.
Read more:
