Europe’s automakers and politicians have been worried about China stealing the continents sales and jobs, yet it was the American brands that proved the surprise at this year’s German Car of the Year (GCOTY) awards.
Out of five categories, U.S. automakers claimed two – and the most prestigious two categories, Luxury and Performance.
Cadillac followed up on the Lyriq’s 2024 GCOTY Luxury trophy by taking out this year’s title with the Vistiq.
Even further up the price ladder, the Lucid Air Sapphire kicked a struggling Porsche while it was down, dominating Europe’s sportscar brands to win the Performance category.
The Europeans fought back in their traditional strongholds of Budget, taken out by the Renault Group’s Dacia Bigster, and Compact, where the Volkswagen Group’s Skoda Elroq held sway.
But they also lost the Premium category, with Hyundai maintaining the momentum of its product surge and winning with the Ioniq 9.
The rapid Lucid Air Sapphire also won an unofficial award – the most requested set of car keys at the GCOTY megatest event, held in early summer in Alsfeld, near Frankfurth, Germany. The Sapphire was the most in-demand car for the entirety of the six-day test, followed by China’s MG Cyberster electric convertible.
With three electric motors – two on the rear axle and one on the front – the Air Sapphire is capable of ripping to 62mph in 2.0 seconds on its way to a 330km/h top speed, yet still stretches out to 694km of WLTP-rated electric range.
It also surprised judges with its ride quality and handling sophistication, as well as the cleanliness and comfort of its interior and its generous luggage capacity.
Even with that, the Sapphire – by far the most powerful of the Lucid Air range – was still capable of hammering out of every corner, even on unlimited autobahns, thanks to 1940Nm of torque.
The Cadillac Vistiq seven-seater, meanwhile, offered a more sedate luxury experience, but only if 0-60mph times of 3.7 seconds are now considered sedate.
With a 305-mile EPA range, the Vistiq impressed with its interior design and trim levels and its ride comfort, which built on the Lyriq’s stunning debut onto the European market last year.