BRZ is Carsguide Car of the Year
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SYDNEY – Dec 14, 2012: Subaru’s BRZ sports car is the News Limited Carsguide Car of the Year for 2012, jointly heading a field of 11 finalists.
BRZ won the News Limited Carsguide award together with its Toyota 86 “twin” – both cars are made by Subaru at its Gunma factory near Tokyo.
The award comes after an exhaustive testing schedule conducted by an experienced team of Carsguide journalists from around Australia.
They took account of a wide range of parameters including value, design, safety, engineering and relevance.
Subaru Australia Managing Director, Nick Senior, said: “This is the inaugural News Limited Car of the Year win for Subaru and we’re delighted by the accolade.
“BRZ has been rated a favourite in road test reviews by many Carsguide motoring journalists around the country since its July launch and the joy that it brings to drivers was obviously shared by the experienced testers in the COTY contest.
“That enthusiasm for BRZ has also been shared in every international market in which it has been launched. It’s a fantastic response to an amazing car.”
“This is the era of the SUV and that makes the BRZ and 86 quite remarkable. It’s a ground-breaking car, regardless of the badges it wears,” said Carsguide Editor, Paul Pottinger.
His fellow judges were equally praiseworthy: “This car is a gift. Has anyone got out of either one without a smile on their face?” said James Stanford.
“They are the most significant sports cars since the original Mazda MX-5 in 1989. There are too many grey cars in the world, but The Twins are technicolour and 3D,” said Paul Gover.
Carsguide said the vehicles reflect a landmark collaboration between Toyota and Subaru, classy engineering with a concentrated focus on driving enjoyment, and value packaging by both brands.
The other COTY contenders were: Ford Falcon EcoBoost, Ford Ranger dual-cab, Holden Volt, Honda CR-V, Hyundai i30, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-5, Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Up.
Among BRZ’s other awards this year:
Subaru’s initial allocation of 201 BRZs to the end of 2012 sold-out after just three hours of going “live” on the web in July.
Among the features that distinguish BRZ from the 86 in Australia
are:
BRZ has a National Driveaway Price starting at $37,150, and includes a three-year/60,000 kilometre scheduled service plan and a five-star ANCAP occupant safety rating.