The Autobest Ultimate Test took place over two days in Teesdorf, Austria. Five finalists were tested on public roads and a dedicated handling course. This year’s finalists are the Citroen C3, Dacia Duster, MG 3, Opel Frontera, and Renault Symbioz. The winner will be announced on 16 December.
All of the cars were driven through various road conditions and, on the handling course, subjected to more extreme scenarios, allowing the full capabilities of the chassis and driver assistance systems to be tested in a controlled environment.
More 2025 Autobest category winners announced
The Safetybest award recognises the most valuable contribution to automotive and traffic safety, and this year goes to the Cybex Child Seat Airbag. Despite safety recommendations, more than 80 per cent of children are placed in forward-facing seats before the age of two. Furthermore, over 50 per cent of children aren’t correctly fitted in their seat, while more than 70 per cent are not properly secured in place by their seat harness. Research and development by Cybex has resulted in a new product called the Anoris T2 i-Size, which features a fully integrated airbag with an adjustable impact shield.
Recognising management and business success, the Companybest award goes to BYD. The Chinese brand is already one of the world’s leading brands for both plug-in hybrid and electric cars and has recently expanded to Europe and other global markets. Last year, the BYD Dolphin was crowned Autobest’s Best Buy Car of Europe 2024. The compact electric hatchback saw off stiff competition from the Hyundai Kona, Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600, becoming the first Chinese car brand to win the European accolade.
The Autobest jury is made up of 31 journalists, each representing their respective country in Europe. Complete Car’s own Dave Humphreys represents Ireland.
