Fresh off a facelift, it’s powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 224kW and 422Nm, and comes with a long list of standard features, a stunning interior, and a strong suite of safety technology.
What makes the Genesis truly special though is it approaches the luxury-car brief differently to its direct competition, instead borrowing some design elements from ultra-luxury cars such as Bentley. All told, it’s an impressive piece of kit for the money.
Read more about the Genesis GV70 by clicking here.
The Lexus NX350h hybrid is our carry-over winner from 2024, with the Luxury eFour AWD variant offering 179kW from a 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder engine and electric motor.
Despite being a medium SUV packed with luxury features, the Lexus delivers a combined fuel economy rating of 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres claimed, and is priced from $76,400 before on-road costs.
The NX’s stylish design, premium feel, and the ownership experience offered by Lexus won us over the line for 2024 – but is it enough to hold the title for 2025?
Check out the Lexus NX by clicking here.
Our third finalist is the electric Skoda Enyaq, which is all new to Australia despite having been on sale in Europe for several years.
For $75,990 before on-roads, our pick is the Enyaq Sportline with Ultimate Pack, which adds adaptive damping, an augmented-reality head-up display, driver’s seat massaging, a nicer interior, 360-degree camera, and an upgraded sound system, among others.
The rear wheels are driven by a 210kW/545Nm electric motor, powered by an 82kWh battery offering 561km of range and a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. This is Skoda’s answer to the Tesla Model Y, with a sleek coupe SUV body and a healthy catalogue of standard features.
Read more on the Skoda Enyaq by clicking here.
The Drive Car of the Year Best Medium SUV Under $80K will be announced on 24 February 2025.
The below was published on 14 November 2024:
In a few short generations, SUVs went from being agricultural four-wheel-drives designed to tackle the bush, deserts, and farmland to comfortable, practical family cars – with models available in just about every shape and size and at every price point.
For those who want everything they have to offer – without moving into a large vehicle that may be difficult to park and maneuver – there are medium-sized SUVs, offering space, performance, economy, and an elevated driving position, which not only improves outward views but allows for better ingress and egress too.
All of which makes the Best Medium SUV Under $80K one of the most hotly contested categories in Drive Car of the Year – with old, familiar models powered by petrol going up against hybrids, electric vehicles, luxury cars, and all-new models from brands only recently introduced in Australia.
Being one of the popular categories in DCOTY, our judges will be looking at cars that appeal to contemporary families and urbanites, while being able to do everything for the widest group of owners with the least amount of fuss – along with that elusive ‘X’ factor – and all for less than $80,000.
The winner of the Drive Car of the Year 2024 – Best Medium SUV Under $80K was the Lexus NX, beating out fierce competition from its finalists: the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-60, Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Tesla Model Y.
Those five finalists were chosen from a list of almost 30 eligible models in 2024, with each vehicle offering strong credentials – making every decision, including the final winner, extremely difficult and painstaking.
In the end, it was its long list of standard features, build quality, design, powertrain, and practicality that won the Lexus NX its category.
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For 2025, there is a little less than half the number of contenders in this segment compared with the previous year – which still makes for a mammoth task, given they each have a long list of pros and very few cons.
The truth is, most new cars on sale today are very good. The vast majority of buyers would be happy with almost any car on this list, meaning we have to drill down to the smallest details to see which ones set themselves apart from the rest.
Our 2025 contenders include the BYD Sealion 6, Cupra Ateca, Genesis GV70, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Tucson, Kia EV5, Kia Sportage Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Peugeot 408, Skoda Enyaq, Subaru Solterra, Toyota BZ4X, and the defending winner, the Lexus NX.
This will be one of the most fascinating categories of the competition, given there are newcomers like the Toyota BZ4X and Kia EV5, as well as popular electric cars like the BYD Sealion 6 and facelifted Hyundai Ioniq 5, all going head-to-head against family favourites like Kia Sportage Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson (both petrol and hybrid).
