2024 Swiss Car of the Year Selection: Which model will win the automobile crown?

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Smoking heads and tires on the big test day of the “Swiss Car of the Year 2024”: The 13-member expert jury, led by jury president Monisha Kaltenborn (52, see box), had to narrow the selection from 53 to just 10. Cut down on Vehicles as you approach Switzerland’s top car selection. These ten nominated models (see below) took part in a major comparison test at the TCS Driving Safety Center in Betzholz on the day of the decision.

This year too the balance between the finalists is huge: from the affordable Dacia Jogger family minivan with petrol hybrid drive to small and large electric SUVs such as the Fiat 600e or Kia EV9 and BMW’s new luxury electric car the i5, almost all segments are represented in the final selection . “Of course, this doesn’t make the decision any easier,” says Matthias Huber, vehicle technology expert at Empa. “On the other hand, these ten models provide a good overview of the broad car market.”

Facts and feelings

The judges examine the vehicles closely on the training tracks of the TCS facility as well as on public roads around Hinwil ZH and compare them in the categories of style, technology, innovations and price-performance ratio, among other things.

Although each jury member keeps their favorite to themselves, there is a lot of debate among them: “Along with the Fiat 600e, Jeep Avenger and Opel Astra Electric, there are three vehicles belonging to the Stellantis Group, and they all have the same technology. Create a platform. “Yet these three cars behave completely differently in the driving dynamics test,” says former F1 driver and TV commentator Marc Surer (72). Jury colleague and automotive journalist Isabelle Riederer, who is on the expert jury for the first time, adds: “Concrete facts such as charging speed or price can be easily compared. “This is much more difficult when it comes to emotional factors such as design or driving pleasure.”

I’m waiting for the premiere

After a long day of testing, the jury gets down to business: Which model should be chosen as the Swiss Car of the Year 2024? In the special competition, each jury member distributes a total of 25 points to at least seven vehicles; A vehicle can be given a maximum of 10 points. Completed ballots will remain locked until the winner is announced at the gala event at Safenwil AG on 27 November 2023. Only then will it be clear which “Swiss Car of the Year 2024” will replace last year’s winner, the Genesis GV60.

Source: Blick