Renault wins European COTY, as Kia takes Australian DCOTY

BYD, other Euro COTY Top Finalists get WCOTY

By MITCH R. CONFESOR

MANILA, 1 March 2024 — Earlier this week, three major Car of the Year (COTY) award iterations made a splash across the global stage, including the eventual post-pandemic comeback of the prestigious Geneva automotive show on its centennial year, four years after the Covid-19 lockdown and a brief interlude the previous year at the Brussels auto show.

Renault Scenic E-Tech won the top prize for Car of the Year 2024 in a ceremony that took place at the Geneva International Motor Show in Palexpo, Switzerland.

Down Under, meanwhile, Kia EV9 Air took home the Drive Car of the Year (DCOTY) 2024 in Australia, out of multiple major categories including electric vehicles (EVs), sports utility vehicles (SUVs), as well as hybrid and gas-powered passenger cars from the lower range to the luxury releases.

Two models from Berkshire/Buffet-backed Chinese EV brand BYD, the Dolphin and Atto 3, were finalists in the DCOTY 2024 most affordable electric car category, aside from the lesser known GWM Ora, with British-Chinese SAIC model MG4 as the affordable EV category winner (below $50,000).

As for the Top 3 in the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) 2024, in the following order, the winners were all Geneva COTY 2024 finalists: BYD Seal, Volvo EX30, and Aussie DCOTY winner Kia EV9.

Point System

Based on a jury point system, with at least 58 juror-members representing 22 countries, the Geneva/Europe COTY 2024 winner and finalists were:

1. Renault Scenic E-Tech: 329 pts.

2. BMW 5 Series/i5: 308 pts.

3. Peugeot 3008/e-3008: 197

4. Kia EV9/Air: 190 pts.

5. Volvo EX30: 168 pts.

6. BYD Seal - 131 pts.

7. Toyota C-HR - 127 pts.

With the first-place win of Scenic E-Tech at the Geneva COTY 2024, it became the seventh time for Renault to win this prestigious Euro trophy as it celebrated its 61st edition.

Dubbed a strong competitor to the Tesla Model Y in price and range, the French brand’s model could deliver up to 379 miles (610 kms.) with its most powerful electric long-range battery, and with a starting price in France at €39,990.

Also for this edition, four of the seven finalist models were completely electric. This would include the Renault winner while the other three (Peugeot, BYD, Kia) had completely electric or plug-in versions.

$40K Psyche Barrier

In the Australian DCOTY 2024 e-car category, winner MG4 became ‘Australia’s most affordable electric car’ and the first EV under the psychological $40,000 barrier. Organizers said this year’s DCOTY came after months of testing and assessing the near 400 new cars available in Australia.

For the rest Down Under, almost beating DCOTY 2024 winner Kia EV9 Air, the finalists for top family car were:

• Honda CR-V as the best medium-sized SUV under $50,000

• Lexus NX hybrid as the best medium-sized SUV under $80,000 and

• Kia Carnival as the best family car under $80,000.

The three finalists for best urban car under $30,000 were:

1. Volkswagen Polo as category winner,

2. Toyota Yaris Cross (crossover) SUV, and

3. Hyundai i30 Sedan

Meanwhile, the three finalists for best urban car under $50,000 were the Volkswagen Golf as category winner, and the earlier most affordable e-car finalists BYD Dolphin and SAIC MG4.

Delivering premium technology and features, the three finalists for best luxury car under $100,000 were category champion Mercedes-Benz C-Class winning back-to-back, and finalists Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3, both luxury EVs.

Dual-Cab Ute

The four finalists for best small SUV under $50,000 were the Hyundai Kona as category winner, as well as the Kia Seltos, the Nissan Qashqai, and the Ford Puma.

Meanwhile, the three finalists for best medium-sized SUV under $50,000 were the Honda CR-V as category winner, as well as the Nissan X-Trail and the Honda XR-V. Finally, the three finalists for best dual-cab ute (Australian for pick-up truck) under $50,000 were the SsangYong Musso as category winner, as well as the Nissan Navarra and the GWM Ute.

Higher-Priced EVs

As for the other EV categories priced higher than the affordable ones, the four finalists for best urban EVs under $100,000 were the:

1. Tesla Model 3 from US as category winner,

2. BYD Seal from China,

3. Cupra Born from Spain,

4. Hyundai Ioniq from Korea, and

5. BMW iX1 from Germany.

The three finalists for best family EVs under $100,000 were the 2024 topnotcher Kia EV9 as category winner, as well as the Kia EV6 and the Tesla Model Y.

In addition, the three finalists for best luxury EVs under $150,000 were the BMW iX, the BMW i4, and the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

World Cars

Aside from the Top 3 in WCOTY 2024 like the BYD Seal, Volvo EX30 and Kia EV9, the other World Car Awards finalists were:

• Ford Bronco

• Hyundai Kona / Kona Electric

• Hyundai Santa Fe

• Mazda CX-90

• Subaru Crosstrek

• Toyota Prius

• Volkswagen ID.7