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Here is every new or updated model eligible for the Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Medium SUV Under $80K category.
Family Cars
Drive Car of the Year 2025
Now in its 20th year, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards program continues to be the Australian new car buyer’s most-trusted advisor.
At Drive, we test drive more than 200 new cars every year, evaluating each against its innate promise to sort the best from the rest. We divide the 400-plus new passenger cars, SUVs, 4WDs and utes into 19 price-banded categories focused on the end-user. Then we analyse the strengths and weaknesses of every car to find the cream of the automotive crop.
Drive Car of the Year 2025 is a go!
Drive Car of the Year 2025: Best Medium SUV Under $80K
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.
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).
Given the larger Kia EV9 electric SUV took out the overall Drive Car of the Year gong for 2024, it will be very interesting to see how its smaller sibling, the recently-released Kia EV5, fares against established rivals – and new upstarts – in this group.
Or, does the Lexus NX still have the right ingredients to fend off a new wave of medium SUVs and reclaim the title for another year in a row?
Feel free to take bets on what you think might be the finalists – or category winner – in the comments section below.
Which cars are eligible for this category?
Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:
| Contenders | Not here in time |
| – Cars that are all-new or significantly updated since they last contested Drive Car of the Year. – New categories are open to all cars that fit category requirements. – Last year’s winner is an automatic inclusion. | – These cars meet category requirements, but are not due to arrive in time for Drive Car of the Year 2025 judging. |
| BYD Sealion 6 Cupra Ateca Genesis GV70 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Hyundai Tucson Kia EV5 Kia Sportage Hybrid Lexus NX (defending) Mercedes-Benz GLB Peugeot 408 Skoda Enyaq Subaru Solterra Toyota BZ4X | None |
The winner of the 2025 Drive Car of the Year Best Medium SUV Under $80K will be announced in February 2025.
Before then, we will announce the finalists – all of which deliver practically everything for the widest group of people, while doing so in a contemporary way for families and urbanites.
Read more:
Family Cars Guide
Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.
