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

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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.