Since 1978, the WhatCar? Awards, have been one of the most highly regarded award ceremonies in the motor industry.
Every year the long running UK automobile magazine names the top cars in each sector of the motoring world, along with the overall best Car of the Year.
The publication celebrated its 40th anniversary at their annual event in January, and we’ve put together a quick list of some of the big winners from 2018…
Car Of The Year: Volvo XC40
The compact crossover Swedish SUV beat out tough competition from the likes of Seat, Peugeot and Nissan to gain the coveted title this year.
It had already managed to win in the Family SUV category before seeing off the other 20 category winners. The magazine attributed the Volvo XC40’s success in the growing family SUV market, to its blend of quality, comfort, style and safety.
The magazine praised the amount of space that the model affords, along with its competitive pricing, smooth handling, and high quality build.
Best City Car: Kia Picanto 1.25 ‘3’
The winner of this category needed to nail the tough job of making urban driving an enjoyable experience – and the Kia Picanto 1.25 ‘3’ clearly managed this task and was declared the overall winner.
Its accessibility was praised, due to the car being offered at very competitive finance rates. Plus, attributes like superior handling on urban roads, along with plenty of space and strong practicality, all attributed to the model’s success.
Best Sports Car: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio managed to stave off the likes of Mclaren and Porsche to claim this years title of best sports car.
With a top speed of 191mph and going from nought to sixty in just under 3.9 seconds, the super-Giulia has even been compared favourably to the Porsche 911, which is considered one of the best sports cars of all time.
Car Safety Award: Volvo XC60
Volvo managed to claim another category victory with their Volvo XC60 snagging the car safety award.
Last year the car achieved the highest Euro NCAP test score, gaining a record breaking rating of 98% for its front and side impact protection – also recognition has been given to the model’s cutting edge driver assistance systems, which can help prevent accidents.
Car Technology Award: Tesla
Finalists Nissan and Mercedes were both pipped to the post by Tesla this year, for the company’s innovation and technological excellence, which it manages to offer across all of its models.
The magazine praised the company for helping to push boundaries in the motor industry, by bringing electric vehicles into the mainstream, and for making self-driving technology a reality.
Best Hybrid Car: Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Premium
The Ioniq has been declared the ideal choice for hybrid car buyers this year. Even when compared to its main rival, the popular Toyota Prius, the Hyundai has received recognition for its quicker pace, cheaper cost, and superior practicality.
Car pollution problems are of course a priority, and these days they’re under increased scrutiny – with this in mind, the magazine has declared the Ioniq the best current solution on the market.
The Reader Award:
This category involves the What Car? readers themselves voting on their favourite new car of the year – and this time an overwhelming majority settled on the Jaguar I-Pace.
The electric SUV’s power, pace and range stats have been praised, along with the fact its launch price will be considerably cheaper than the chief rival, the Tesla Model X.
Other categories at the 2018 awards included the Small, Family and Luxury Car of the year – with the Seat Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 FR, Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI 150 SE L, and the BMW 5 Series 520d SE all emerging victorious respectively.
