The Toyota 86 has been judged the Car of the Year in Australia at the annual Drive awards.

The 86 was also named Best Performance Car under Aus$60 000 (R550 000) and it came out tops in the People's Choice vote too.

Drive hailed the 86's nimble rear-drive chassis and attainable power as the primary reasons behind its success.

"Judges loved the fact that it hit the brief of being a really fun-to-drive car — and it's also impressively affordable.

"It really is a fantastic little sports car — one that can be fun on the right road, but also make the drive home that little bit more enticing," Drive editor and chief judge Toby Hagon said.

Development of the compact four-seat sports car stemmed from the vision of Toyota's global president Akio Toyoda to create a more emotional connection between car and driver.

Toyota Australia executive director sales and marketing, Matthew Callachor, said the award for the 86 was a great tribute to the passionate people who engineered and produced it.

"The 86 was designed for driving enthusiasts to deliver maximum driving pleasure, lively yet accessible performance and highly engaging dynamic abilities — and all at an accessible price," Callachor said.