COTY 2006 final round

Now it's down to the judges to decide which of the 10 finalists will win the award to be announced in a special edition of CARSguide next Friday.

Our top 10 has been achieved after an extensive search and culling process covering all cars launched in Australia in the past year.

The judging criteria included assessing styling, safety, innovation, value, functionality, build quality and performance.

Our motoring experts, motoring editors and senior motoring writers from The Daily Telegraph, Herald-Sun in Melbourne, The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, The Advertiser in Adelaide, The Mercury in Hobart and The Sunday Times in Perth extensively tested the 10 finalists earlier this month. The three-day back-to-back testing, included a full day's driving at Wakefield Park in Goulburn.

The finalists were driven in a wide mix of environments and road conditions, including wet, dry, city, freeway, highway and country roads.

Fiat Punto Emotion

Judge Keith Didham's comment:

Fiat returned to the Australian market in August after a 17-year gap. The Punto is one of Europe's biggest sellers, but can that success be replicated here?

Fiat reopened the batting Down Under with four variants, with a choice of five-door or three-door manual hatches powered by 1.3 or 1.9-litre turbo diesel or a 1.4-litre petrol motor. Fiat last month added two more smart sequential automatic variants to round out the range to six. Prices range from $19,990 for the Dynamic to $27,990 for the better-equipped Emotion as tested here.

The cute Giorgetto Giugiaro styling comes with a strong hint of Maserati about its nose, while the cabin is unmistakably Italian, so the car appeals to the buyer looking for something out of left field from the bevy of small-car clones. The Punto's biggest attractions, however, are its frugal fuel economy, comfortable four-seat cabin and five-star crash rating.

The perky diesel feels robust once you get it up and running and riding the torque wave.

It's a strong performer, with plenty of grip and good dynamics, but the trade off can be a harsh ride, while the steering sometimes lacks feedback.

The Punto is premium priced, but standard kit includes electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, cloth trim, cruise control, a decent CD audio system, remote locking, airconditioning and power windows.

Holden Astra CDTi

Judge Bryan Littlely's comment:

There is a very straightforward reason for the Holden Astra CDTi's inclusion in the CARSguide Car Of The Year Award - and that is its diesel engine.

The stylish, imported Astra is the first diesel passenger car to wear the badge of an Australian manufacturer in more than 20 years, a wise move by Holden given the surge in popularity of diesel powered vehicles amid rising fuel prices.

But the Astra is an attractive option for much more than its powerplant. It has the styling that would appeal to a wide range of car buyers and, at $29,990 for the six-speed manual, it is very competitive with European brands on price.

The Holden Astra offers good ride and handling in a comfortable and practical package that is fun to drive - if not all glitz and glamour - and it certainly proved its worth during the judging.

Holden still has some issues to overcome with this car if it is to convert car buyers from petrol to diesel but, overall, it offers a solid package and a good entry point for buyers wanting to make the shift to diesel-powered vehicles.

Hyundai Elantra Elite

Judge Kevin Hepworth's comment:

Once the whipping boy of poor build quality, Hyundai has turned around its reputation to the point where it is now winning quality surveys in major international markets.

A fine example of that new attention to detail was the action the company took after criticism of the Elantra's woolly steering at its Australian release. Within days a team of engineers was flown from Korea to recalibrate the cars.

While it is still not perfect it is a huge improvement and a credit to Hyundai's determination to improve wherever it can. And while there may still be the odd question mark over styling - the curved crease-line down the car's flanks comes readily to mind - the Hyundai Elantra Elite offers a comprehensive package for its $24,990 sticker price.

Not the least of the attractions in the Elite is the included safety pack of electronic stability control and six airbags.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, coupled to a five-speed manual, puts out a reasonable 105kW and the Elantra offers a good quality ride for a car in its segment.

The finalists

1: Audi Q7 TDI 4WD, $85,700

2: Fiat Punto Emotion diesel $27,990

3: Ford Focus XR5 5-cyl turbo hatch, $35,990

4: Holden Astra CDTi diesel $29,990

5: Holden VE Calais V8 V-series sedan, $58,490

6: Hyundai Elantra Elite $24,990

7: Mazda3 MPS 4-cylinder turbo hatch, $39,990

8: Porsche Cayman S 2-door coupe, $148,500

9: Toyota Aurion Presara V6 sedan, $49,990

10: VW Passat wagon 4-cylinder turbo, $44,990

The winner will be announced next Friday.