The “German Car of the Year” (GCOTY) is being voted on for the fourth time, and five candidates are once again fighting for the coveted title. The class winners have already been determined, and the publication of the overall winner is now eagerly awaited.
In Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, the class winners were ready for test drives on the demanding roads in the east of the spa town, on which the Vorderpfalz Rally was once held. The jurors set up camp at the partner KST engine test, from where the five applicants were sent out onto the track for the different assessment drives. The Opel Astra prevailed in the “Compact” class (starting price up to 30,000 euros), while the Genesis GV60 won the “Premium” segment (up to 60,000 euros). The Range Rover from Land Rover won the “Luxury” category (over 60,000 euros), while the Ferrari 296 GTB took first place in the “Performance” category. In the “New Energy” class, which includes all vehicles with alternative drive systems, the jury voted Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz top. Surprisingly, there are no class winners from German premium brands. Neither BMW nor Mercedes nor 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 become clear who will be awarded the title “Car of the Year 2023” in Germany to have. The 296 GTB is a thoroughbred sports car that offers a lot of driving pleasure, but with its limited space it hardly has 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. The Honda e won in 2021, and last year the also electrically powered Hyundai Ioniq 5 took first place. (Michael Kirchberger/cen)
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