The inaugural AA Driven Car of the Year awards will take place next week in Auckland.

The process of finding the best car in NZ has lasted all year, with any new car available to purchase from October 2017 to September 2018 eligible for the top prize.

In October, a panel of nine motoring journalists determined the top 10 cars of 2018 and the outright winner will be announced on December 12.

Competition was extremely tough in 2018, with strong entries in every segment from small car to large SUV. After much deliberation and a few arguments, the 10 best cars have been determined.

Before the winner is announced, we look back at the 10 best cars on sale right now and how they made their way to the AA Driven Car of the Year finals.

In alphabetical order, the top 10 finalists are:

Holden Commodore

Read more: Why the Holden Commodore made the top 10

Hyundai i30N

Read more: Why the Hyundai i30 N made the top 10

Hyundai Santa Fe

Read more: Why the Hyundai Santa Fe made the top 10

Hyundai Kona

Read more: Why the Hyundai Kona made the top 10

Kia Stinger

Read more: Why the Kia Stinger made the top 10

Mazda CX-8

Read more: Why the Mazda CX-8 made the top 10

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Read more: Why the Mercedes-Benz A-Class made the top 10

Subaru Forester

Read more: Why the Subaru Forester made the top 10

Suzuki Swift Sport

Read more: Why the Suzuki Swift Sport made the top 10

Volvo XC40

Read more: Why the Volvo XC40 made the top 10