SMART #1

WELCOME

p77 ‘The purpose of the awards is to

Welcome

IN THE BACK of this magazine, you’ll find

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

Latest iteration of this large estate car continues with its proven combination of luxury and practicality – with one caveat On sale Now Price from £57,930

Kia EV9

Seven-seat electric SUV takes the South Korean brand into new territory, in terms of both size and price On sale Now Price from £65,025 

Aston Martin DB12 Volante

Sporty, rapid and luxurious DB12 grand tourer is given the convertible treatment On sale Now Price from £203,000

MG HS

Family SUV is tweaked inside and out in a bid to further polish its value credentials On sale Now Price from £23,995

Mercedes-Benz GLB

Premium seven-seat SUV is subtly tweaked in an effort to stave off the pressure of new rivals On sale Now Price from £38,745

Range Rover Evoque

Small SUV receives a handful of tweaks in a bid to keep it fresh against upmarket rivals On sale Now Price from £40,080

Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupé

New upmarket coupé aims to combine the best bits of the old C- Class and E- Class equivalents in one package On sale Now Price from £46,605

Range Rover Electric

Land Rover’s flagship diversifies to take on its fully electric luxury SUV rivals On sale Late 2024 Price from £130,000 (est)

Toyota Land Cruiser

Veteran off-roader stays true to its roots while encompassing new tech for greater efficiency and usability On sale Late 2024 Price from £55,000 (est) 

Renault Twingo

Small electric car presents an affordable option for city dwellers looking to go green On sale 2026 Price from £17,000 (est) 

Toyota bZ2X

Japanese brand is poised to take on the Smart #1 with an all-new small electric SUV On sale 2025 Price from £32,000 (est)

Gov’t misses EV charging target

Number of ultra-rapid chargers falls far short of goal

Young drivers put off repairs amid rising cost of living

Some motorists skimp on car maintenance to cut

London councils make millions from parking fines

Parking with your wheels on the pavement can

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

1.9m Cars sold in the UK in 2023,

YouTube

Go to youtube.com/ whatcar for all of our

DEALS of the month

Our online New Car Deals service links you with trusted dealers who base their offers on our Target Price – so you can get your ideal car at a discount without the hassle of haggling

Next month

ON SALE 15 FEBRUARY

Coming soon

SUMMER 2024 FAMILY SUV Dacia Spring Things are

POLESTAR 3

Having whetted buyers’ appetites with the Polestar 2 electric executive car, the brand is now broadening its menu. The new Polestar 3 SUV offers a first taste of what’s to come

DO YOU NEED TO BUY EV-SPECIFIC TYRES FOR YOUR ELECTRIC CAR?

Electric cars (EVs) can be demanding on their tyres, but does this limit your options when it comes to replacing them? We take a closer look

MOST COMMON CAR SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

Motorists are conned out of large sums of money each year. We look at how you can steer clear of the most prevalent scams

Windscreen wiper blades

They may seem simple, but there’s a baffling assortment of brands, styles and fittings when it comes to wiper blades. We’ve named the best to clear things up

RANGE BEDFELLOWS

Has our current favourite small electric SUV, the Smart #1, met its match in new rivals from Hyundai and Peugeot? Let’s find out

BRANDED GENES

Sired by Toyota, each of these new models puts its own spin on the compact hybrid SUV concept. But which is better?

RENAULT CLIO

1.0 TCe 90 Techno

TOYOTA COROLLA

BEST FAMILY CAR

MERCEDES-AMG A45

BEST HOT HATCH

LEXUS LBX

BEST SMALL SUV

KIA SPORTAGE 1.6 T-GDi 3

WE LIKE Smart-looking yet practical interior Fine ride/handling

1st RENAULT 5

HOW THEY WERE CHOSEN We asked readers to

Runners-up

2nd KIA EV3 WHAT CAR? CAR OF THE

MAZDA MX-30

R-EV Prime-Line

MG 4 EV

SE

BEST FOR RELIABILITY

BEST FOR RELIABILITY 1st LEXUS Reliability rating 98.3%

TESLA MODEL 3

RWD

TOYOTA COROLLA TOURING SPORTS

1.8 Hybrid Icon

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110

D300 X-Dynamic S (7 Seat)

1st VOLKSWAGEN ID 7

BEST FOR SAFETY THE JUDGES Matthew Avery Director

BMW X7

xDrive40d M Sport (Ultimate Pack)

KIA EV6

RWD GT-Line

BMW 4 SERIES

420i M Sport (Pro Pack)

FORD PUMA ST

1.5 Ecoboost 200 Performance Pack

1st TESLA Supercharger V4

Whether you’re ready to go green right now,

PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN

GTS

BMW M3 TOURING

xDrive Competition

Overall winner

LEXUS LBX

Volvo XC40 Recharge

Twin AWD Ultimate

Volkswagen ID Buzz

77kWh Pro Style

Dacia Jogger

1.0 TCe 110 Extreme SE

Range Rover Sport

D350 Autobiography

Toyota bZ4X

AWD Vision

Audi Q2

35 TFSI S line S tronic

Honda CR-V 2.0

i-MMD Hybrid Advance

BYD At to 3

150kW Design

Vauxhall Mokka

1.2 Turbo 136 GS

Tesla Model 3

This electric exec has taken the new car market by storm, and it’s now whipping up a hurricane on used forecourts. Here’s what to look for

Not strapped for flash

Upmarket in feel but without the price tags to match, these family hatches are exceptionally good used buys. Let’s see where your money should go

Data