The Car of the Year 2024 knows its nomination: Internal combustion engines in decline, electric cars and hybrids want the title. Škoda is missing again – Garáž.cz

The almost annual prestigious domestic survey Car of the Year 2024 in the Czech Republic (organized by the Association of Automobile Importers) opens its arms to twenty nominated jurors from the automotive field, who will decide which car will take home this national automobile award.

The current holder of the award is the Honda Civic, which took the traveling cup from the BMW i4 – the clear winner of the 2021/2022 biennium. However, the list for the 30th anniversary year 2024 reveals a strengthening trend of electromobility and electrification, as models with engines without an electric motor are in a noticeable minority.

If you look at the table of nominees, it will not surprise anyone that Alfa Romeo has nominated the plug-in hybrid Tonale. With a vision of a chance for success, BMW is also participating with the 5 Series. This time, Citroën pulled out an enlarged C4 marked X, while Ford sent a pure six-cylinder Bronco into battle, while Honda wants to defend this time with the help of the hybrid CR-V.

Some car manufacturers have directly named a model with a specific drive (Alfa, Audi), while others have one model divided into two separate ones due to the drive (e.g. C4 X/ë-C4 X, BMW 5/i5, etc.), to which we have also adapted our table types of drives.

Hyundai is typically riding the Kona/Ioniq electric wave, Kia wants to surprise with the giant EV9 electric car, while Lexus pulled out an ace in the name of the luxury hybrid MPV LM for 3.3 million crowns.

Somewhat unexpectedly, alongside the Chinese MG4, we are missing Dongfeng, whose import has been informed several times about the domestic SDA survey, but does not participate. It would certainly be interesting to see the combustion SUV T5 Evo or practical MPV U-Tour on the list. There will be only one Chinese car in the 2024 poll, and an electric one at that.

The last four nominees are no less interesting, starting with the Porsche Cayenne, followed by the Renault Espace, the Subaru Crosstrek (formerly the XV) and the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Although they should have a lot to offer, Škoda Auto, Volkswagen, Volvo, Nissan, Cupra, for example, are missing. Among non-SDA members, Tesla, SsangYong or the Chinese SWM could shuffle their cards. The reasons for non-participation can be various, ranging from failure to meet the conditions of the survey to the impossibility of delivering the car for test drives to the possible reluctance of the dealership to participate in the event.

And how will it go? The first test drives will take place as early as November 28, 2023, from which there will usually be five finalists, who will present themselves on December 5, 2023. The second round of test drives will take place at the beginning of 2024, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony on February 6, 2024. The prize will then be handed over to the winner by Minister of Transport Martin Kupka himself.

We also ask you every year and let you decide in our poll which of the nominated cars you think should win the Car of the Year 2024 award in the Czech Republic. And the year 2024 will not be an exception. Therefore, vote in the poll below for your favorite Car of the Year 2024 in the Czech Republic according to Garáž.cz readers, which we will announce together with the winner of the traditional SDA Car of the Year 2024 poll in the Czech Republic.