Car of The Year 2022

EVEN BY COTY’S TRADITIONALLY DIVERSE STANDARDS, THE FIELD FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT WAS BRILLIANTLY ECLECTIC: 21 CARS SPANNING FROM UNDER $33,000 TO JUST SHY OF $300,000, AND FEATURING A RECORD NUMBER OF ELECTRIFIED MODELS. LET THE BATTLE BEGIN

WHEELS CAR of the Year isn’t fun. At least, it’s not supposed to be.

Nor is the Australian Automotive Research Centre proving ground – “doubleay-ah-cee” – some amusement park. Secluded and sprawling, this secure venue drips protocol, hi-viz formal wear, clipboards, furrowed brows and science. An ideal base camp, then, for the world’s longest continually run motoring gong to use and abuse as a first round chopping block.

As a shared facility, privacy is tantamount. The old Fight Club rules apply: what happens at AARC stays in AARC. Pointing a camera towards anything that moves – military equipment; camouflaged prototypes – risks sending Wheels and sister title 4x4 Australia, axle-deep its own awards event, promptly packing.

One car journalist with an iPhone could be considered risky business. The Wheels Army numbers 31: judges, photographers and videographers mostly, plus eagle-eyed support crew with radios. Thing is, with 21 of motoring’s newest, greatest and most future-pointing vehicles – including secret pre-release models – in tow to thrust through three days of testing and documentation, we were undoubtedly the most ogle-worthy presence let loose inside the fortified, 1000-hectare facility.

The judges assembled are familiar Wheels Media furniture but the 2022 Motley Jury are half newbies and two others are first-time returnees from last year’s event. Hopefully a rough century’s worth of media and industry experience between the six counts for, well, everything.