Currently reading: What Car? Awards 2019 winners revealed

The annual awards celebrate the best of the best cars, ranging from electric cars to sports SUVs to hot hatches

The Kia e-Niro has been named the What Car? Car of the Year 2019, becoming the first electric car to win the award.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said the Kia e-Niro stood out because “it addresses the key issues of cost and range that have traditionally prevented many motorists from taking the plunge into EV ownership”. He added that it was a “spacious and practical family SUV with few compromises”.

Kia UK boss Paul Philpott commented: “This marks an important milestone in the Awards as we approach the tipping point where every motorist will be seriously considering buying an electric car as their next car.”

Last year’s winner, the Volvo XC40, was named Family SUV of the Year for the second year running, while the Skoda Octavia reclaimed the family car award.

There were three new categories this year: plug-in hybrid, sports SUV and pick-up, won by the Volvo XC90 T8, Cupra Ateca and Volkswagen Amarok respectively.

The performance and sports car category was split for 2019. The sports car award went to the Alpine A110 - also an Autocar five-star car – and the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was named Performance Car of the Year.

The Reader Award, which is voted for by the public, marks the upcoming car that readers are most looking forward to seeing this year. This accolade was given to the Honda Urban EV, which will be shown at Geneva motor show in March.

Full list of winners

CITY CAR - Kia Picanto 

SMALL CAR - Volkswagen Polo

FAMILY CAR - Skoda Octavia 

SMALL SUV - Seat Arona 

FAMILY SUV - Volvo XC40 

LARGE SUV - Peugeot 5008 

LUXURY SUV - Audi Q7

SPORTS SUV - Cupra Ateca

MPV - Citroën Berlingo

ESTATE CAR - Skoda Superb Estate 

HOT HATCH - Honda Civic Type R

CONVERTIBLE - Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

COUPÉ - Audi A5 Coupé

SPORTS CAR - Alpine A110 

PERFORMANCE CAR - Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

ELECTRIC CAR - Kia e-Niro

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review

Award-winning, in-demand crossover marks Kia’s true arrival into the EV market

Back to top

HYBRID - Hyundai Ioniq 

PLUG IN HYBRID - Volvo XC90 T8

EXECUTIVE CAR - BMW 3 Series 

PICK-UP - Volkswagen Amarok

LUXURY CAR - BMW 5 Series 

READER AWARD - Honda Urban EV

SAFETY AWARD - Mercedes-Benz A-Class

TECHNOLOGY AWARD - Hyundai

CAR OF THE YEAR - Kia e-Niro

Read more

Kia e-Niro review

Details on the Honda Urban EV

Geneva motor show preview

Join the debate

Comments
4
Add a comment…
Zeddy 24 January 2019

Skoda Octavia 1.5

Ah well you can always trade it in for something reliable:

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/owning-1/2019-01/volkswagen-acknowledges-problem-with-15-tsi-evo-engine/

peetee 23 January 2019

What, No Jaguar or Land Rover?

Well that must be a first. Not one mention of any vehicle out of the JLR stables !

Kamelo 23 January 2019

Land Rover, yes...

The Land Rover Discover HSE Luxury won best large SUV over £60K

Kamelo 23 January 2019

Let's face it, peetee,

Let's face it, peetee, WhatCar? is inclreasing becoming a bit of an irrelevance.  What was one THE car magazine to read every month has been overshadowed by CARWOW and CARFECTION, which gain many times the hits on YouTube of WhatCar testdrives.Autocar still has something to say, but WhatCar - literally who cares what cars win?  Matt of Carwow has the audience now and what HE thinks is far more relevant, and will continue to be as we edge ever closer to the 'Twenties'.