After which car? presented its top honors to an affordable crossover with a starting price of £29,995 – rather than a luxury seven-seater or smart electric car – you might be wondering what’s so special about this SUV.
The annual Car of the Year bell from What Car? has been awarded since 1978… but has the car magazine always been right?
In retrospect, this is a great thing, and it means we can look back to the turn of the century to see whether past winners lived up to the expectations of What Car? have achieved:
2000: Skoda Fabia-HIT
When the Fabia supermini came onto the market, it was reliable, cheap to run and built to last. The car essentially changed Skoda’s image, which helped make it such a success today.
2001: Ford Mondeo – HIT
The first generation Mondeo was the best-selling family car in Britain at the time, but this successor blew everything out of the water at the height of the car’s popularity.
2002: Toyota Corolla – HIT
The Corolla was comfortable and practical, if not very exciting. However, to this day it is still one of the most reliable family hatches sold this side in 2000.
2003: Seat Ibiza – HIT
Under the leadership of the VW Group, the Ibiza came to market as an excellent package that undercut the competition on price.
2004: VW Golf MK5 – HIT
Some will argue that this is the best modern Golf of them all, with the Mk6 version being a bit of a disappointment. Bought in bulk, this is a surefire hit.
2005: Land Rover Discovery 3 – MISS
A capable off-roader with plenty of luxury, but the third-generation Discovery has more reliability issues than you’ve had hot dinners. Owners regularly call it one of the least reliable engines on the road.
The woeful reliability makes the decision to reward the Land Rover Discovery 3 a surefire miss
2006: BMW 3 Series – HIT
This 3 Series is the one that helped change the game in the small executive segment, as the premium Beemer brand outpaced more affordable non-prestige brand rivals.
2007: Opel Corsa – HIT
Although this version of the Corsa never quite topped the sales charts, it was the most spacious and comfortable supermini on the market at the time.
2008: Jaguar XF MISS
While it may have impressed at launch, the XF was no match for its German rivals – and there was a sales gap between it and more accomplished models such as the BMW 5 Series.
The XF might have impressed the What Car? panel in 2008, but that didn’t translate into terms of sales, with the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class surpassing it
2009: Ford Fiesta – HIT
This is the Fiesta that topped the sales charts for 12 years, ending in 2021. Brilliant to drive, affordable and practical; it could do it all.
2010: Peugeot 3008 – MISS
As the popularity of compact SUVs grew, the arrival of the Peugeot 3008 took the segment to new levels of refinement and interior style. But less than impressive engines and rapid depreciation make this choice a miss.
The 3008 was Peugeot’s first answer to quirky crossovers, but poor engine offerings and rapid depreciation make it one you might have wanted to avoid
2011: Audi A1 – MISS
There is not much wrong with the Audi A1, but it has not become the sales success that Audi had hoped for. Outpaced by the Mini and with prices considered too high for a supermini, it has never been the volume seller it had hoped for.
2012: Volkswagen Up! – HIT
The up! arrived offering levels of interior quality, refinement, space and maturity never before seen in the city car class. It continues to go strong today.
2013: Audi A3 Sportback – HIT
Wonderfully refined, a beautiful interior and a lot of refinement ensured that this generation of the A3 remained at the top of the premium hatchback segment.
2014: Nissan Qashqai – HIT
The second-generation Qashqai was not only a bestseller in the UK, where it was built, but also became Europe’s most popular crossover with three million units sold across the continent and five million worldwide.
2015: Skoda Fabia – HIT
That’s right, the Fabia has won this award twice since 2000. This generation of Fabia was replaced in 2022, but feels like an exceptionally well-rounded supermini even by today’s standards.
2016: Audi A4 – HIT
When this new A4 arrived, it took the junior executive segment to a new level. However, sales never really reflected this. It was outsold by the Mercedes C-Class that year.
2017: BMW 5 Series – HIT
It is one of the most accomplished premium executive sedans on the market. It may be expensive, but for those who could afford it, it did not disappoint.
2018: Volvo XC40 – HIT
Probably still the best compact SUV on the market today, although it is still quite pricey.
2019: Kia e-Niro – HIT
With a real-world range of more than 250 miles and a price tag that made it more accessible to a wider audience of drivers, the e-Niro fully deserved the 2019 award.
2020: Ford Puma – HIT
The Puma was the most purchased small SUV in 2021. Sharp driving behavior, small engines and mild-hybrid technology make this a real hit.
Which car? gave the Dacia Sandero top honors in January 2021 and stripped it of the title in April 2021 after achieving a two-star Euro NCAP crash test rating
2021: Dacia Sandero (WITHDRAWED) – MISS
Which car? handed over its gong for 2021 to the Dacia Sandero in January of that year. In April, it had stripped the car of the honor due to a poor crash safety rating. Euro NCAP had given the car a two-star rating, which What Car? said: ‘Two stars fall short on What Car? expectations for an award-winning model, due to the need for Car of the Year winners to push boundaries for consumers.”
2022: Kia EV6 – MISS
The EV6 may have impressed with its bold looks, but it didn’t break into the ranks of last year’s best-selling electric cars.
The VW ID.Buzz was named What Car? Car of the Year 2023, despite prices starting from over £57,000
2023: VW ID.Buzz – MISS
The ID.Buzz may have confused people because it’s a camper rather than a car, but it won over some critics with its modern take on retro nostalgia, endless functionality and great resale value. However, many might wonder whether a car costing almost £60,000 would be crowned the best of them all during a cost-of-living squeeze.