Unquestionable Champion: Why the Tesla Model 3 is Named Car of the Year

The updated Tesla Model 3 has been awarded the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 in the passenger car category, surpassing all competitors in both ICE and electric vehicle segments. Judges highly praised the driving dynamics of the Tesla Model 3, the efficiency of the electric vehicle, and the revolutionary Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature, which was launched in New Zealand in September of this year. The publication described the rear-wheel-drive version of the base model Tesla Model 3 as ‘easy to handle and offering a lot of technology for electric cars for the money’, but emphasized that the FSD system takes it to a new level. The FSD system costs $11,400 New Zealand dollars, which is quite expensive, but Tesla also offers FSD on a monthly subscription for $159, making this technology accessible without substantial initial investments.