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Here is every new or updated model eligible for the Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Urban Car Under $50K category.
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 Urban Car Under $50K
Cars have never needed to accomplish more things simultaneously than they do in 2025. They need to be affordable, practical, entertaining, and tech-forward – and these non-negotiables need to be packaged in compact dimensions that ensure small cars are easy to park while remaining frugal on fuel.
It's a lot to ask at the affordable end of the Australian new-car market, but manufacturers have responded with compelling options. Although much of Australia's buying attention centres around SUVs these days, there's still strong competition in the hatchback and small sedan classes below a $50,000 price point.
The Best Urban Car Under $50K price band is the second-most affordable of all categories and looks for the best combination of equipment, safety, and efficiency. A large emphasis is also placed on a car's driving experience – it has to be easy to drive and city-focused – while remaining fuss-free for ongoing costs.
This category was all-new for Drive Car of the Year 2024 and featured finalists such as the BYD Dolphin, MG 4, and Volkswagen Golf. There's a blend of petrol-only cars as well as fully electric options – with last year's awards being the first time Drive has integrated electric cars within conventional categories.
Ultimately, the Volkswagen Golf claimed the category for its refinement, style, and all-round excellence. As such, it will be invited back to the category in 2025 to defend its title.
It will contend against frugal options such as the Hyundai i30 Sedan Hybrid, which is among the most fuel-efficient of its class, and even Hyundai's updated i30 hatchback which has gone to a new turbocharged mild-hybrid powertrain. However, it's now more expensive than the model it replaces.
Japanese brands are represented too: the Subaru Impreza was updated in 2024, as was the Suzuki Swift – which crosses price bands and appears here, as well as in the Best Urban Car Under $30K category.
In addition to the Volkswagen Golf which will return to defend its crown, Volkswagen's own T-Cross was updated in the second half of 2024 with a strong mix of equipment and style.
Which cars are eligible for this category?
Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:
Unfortunately, there were some cars that couldn't make it for this year's running. The Mini hatch was launched during 2024 but not supplied by Mini for Drive judges to test.
As well, the price bands of some model ranges extend beyond our $50,000 barrier. In this case, only the variants with retail prices less than $50,000 are considered worthy of the Best Urban Car Under $50K category.
| Eligible | 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. |
| Hyundai i30 Sedan Hybrid Hyundai i30 Hatch Skoda Fabia Skoda Scala Subaru Impreza Suzuki Swift Volkswagen Golf (defending) Volkswagen T-Cross | Mini Hatch (Not provided for testing by Mini) |
The winner of the Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Urban Car Under $50K will be announced in February 2025.
Before then, we will announce the finalists, all of which deliver on the buyer’s expectations for cost-effective urban motoring. One thing is certain: this category promises to be one of the toughest confronting our experienced judges.
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Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.
