The car of the year is an announcement to German manufacturers
The finalists for the Car of the Year 2022 have been announced. It is noticeable that electric cars are on the rise – and German manufacturers are having a hard time fighting their way to the top.
The car of the year 2022 has not yet been determined. But what is already clear with the announcement of the finalists: The big German car manufacturers do not need to worry about victory. Whether VW, BMW, Mercedes or Audi – Brands from Germany are not represented this time.
Car of the year 2022: these are the finalists
The jury of the prestigious award for the best car of the year has instead shortlisted these seven models for 2022 (source: Car of the Year):
- Cupra Born
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Peugeot 308
- Škoda Enyaq iV
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Kia EV6
- Renault Mégane E-Tech
It is possible to breathe a sigh of relief for VW: With the Škoda Enyaq iV and the Cupra Born are two e-cars from the Volkswagen Group with in the race for first place. Since the Born is practically a copy of the ID.3 on an identical platform, one can imagine a bit on it in Wolfsburg. Nevertheless, the fact remains: German core brands are not represented for 2022.
But why? There can be several reasons for this. For example, German brands have recently not shone with top positions in the innovation ranking. Although Tesla was ahead here, the American electric car pioneer has no chance of winning the car of the year either.
The fact that Toyota did not make the finalists with a model speaks in favor of a theory: The large volume manufacturers do not seem to be able to convince for the coming year. You could also say: Mass makes you sluggish.
However, VW’s success with the ID.4 in the previous year speaks against this. The comparatively minor changes in the ID.5 probably spoiled the chance of a winning streak. Toyota will not bring its first e-car onto the market until the middle of the year, so the bZ4X is not yet available for selection. Whether he could convince remains to be seen.
You should know these misconceptions about e-cars:
Sign of the times: E-cars are clearly on the advance
In the end, there is probably only one conclusion: the fight for the title of the best car is for 2022 the competition is particularly strong. The field of finalists also clearly shows where it is going: only the Peugeot 308 is available as a classic combustion engine or plug-in hybrid. Six out of seven candidates for the win are pure electric cars – a clear sign for the industry and consumers, although the latter is currently losing interest in electric drives. The winner will be announced next spring.
