BMW's i3 electrifies Car of Year judges

The electric BMW has won the NZ Car of the Year award.

An electric BMW has won the New Zealand Car of the Year this year.

The awards event was held at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre last night, hosted by the AA and the New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild.

The BMW, a five-door electric i3, beat nine strong contenders to take the crown.

AA motoring services general manager Stella Stocks said although electric vehicles made up a tiny part of the New Zealand market, they were becoming strong contenders in the car industry.

"The BMW i3 is the epitome of what electric vehicles can offer Kiwi motorists, which is a fresh and exciting alternative to their fossil-fuelled cousins," Ms Stocks said.

The car of the year also took out the Best in Class Compact Car award - beating last year's Car of the Year, the Mazda3.

In another category, the Hyundai Genesis sedan and the Volvo XC90 SUV have been named as the top two safest cars in the country.

Ms Stocks said the Hyundai Genesis produced the highest ever crash test result recorded by the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme.

BMWi3

• The electric motor of the BMW i3 was designed for use in city traffic and provides 125kW/170hp with a torque of 250Nm.
• Accelerates from 0 to 60km/h in under 4 seconds.
• Charges up to 80 per cent charging capacity in under 6 hours.
• The lithium-ion high-voltage battery is guaranteed for eight years or 100,000km.

Finalists
The top 10 finalists for the New Zealand Car of the Year were:

• BMW i3
• Audi Q7
• Ford Mondeo
• Hyundai Tucson
• Land Rover Discovery Sport
• Mazda2
• Mazda CX-3
• Mazda MX-5
• Subaru Legacy
• Volvo XC90.