The new MG4 electric hatch has been crowned the 2023 Carsales Car of the Year while the MY24 Polestar 2 and all-new Hyundai Kona each grabbed a highly commended award.
To determine the 2023 Carsales Car of the Year and two Highly Commended models, a multi-stage judging process whittled down a field of more than 100 eligible candidates to 30 contenders and then just 10 finalists plus two wildcards.
According to Carsales, this award uniquely combines consumer-focused automotive data, which was employed at each stage of the judging schedule, with the expertise of road testers who cast their votes following a full week of closed and public road testing.
The MG4 defeated a field of both electric and conventionally powered finalists after receiving eight first-place votes and two second-place votes from the 10 judges, and a solid cost of ownership ranking from the experts at RedBook.
“The MG4 is not just one of Australia’s cheapest and best-value electric cars,” Carsales editor-in-chief Mike Sinclair says.
“It’s trump card is excellent dynamics and that makes it a worthy winner of our flagship award. The accurate and well-weighted steering, a genuine sense of agility and finely-tuned electronic aids make the MG4 an enjoyable car to drive – and its price tag puts EV ownership within reach of more people.
“The MG4 fulfilled our testing criteria more comprehensively than any other finalist this year, and all judges were impressed. It’s really a very good car,” he says.
Forming 50% of each finalists’ score, judges’ votes were based on four assessment areas including safety, innovation and technology, practicality and presentation, and driving performance.
RedBook’s comprehensive cost of ownership, residual value and specifications data determines the other half of each finalist’s score.
To calculate its cost of ownership score Redbook not only evaluated each vehicle’s purchase price within its market segment, but also standard equipment levels, aftersales provisions (warranty, roadside assist, etc), finance costs, deprecation, insurance, service and running costs (tyres, fuel/electricity, etc) over three years or 45,000km.
“We’re happy the MG4 was a clear winner of the 2023 Carsales Car of the Year,” MG Motor Australia and New Zealand chief executive Peter Ciao says.
“The MG4 proves that electric vehicles can be sustainable, affordable, fun, safe and technologically advanced all at once.
“Winning this award not only demonstrate the merits of MG but also the diversity of our ability to produce world class cars. To have a model recognised by such a respected publication is always gratifying, but to receive the overall accolade shows the depth of our brand and product offering now and into the future,” he says.
The Carsales judges also recognised the Polestar 2 and Hyundai Kona as standout performers in this year’s field, each winning a highly commended award.
“The comprehensively upgraded MY24 Polestar 2 is transformative in its energy efficiency and driving dynamics, while the Hyundai Kona was already our Best Small SUV with ample boot space and one of the most generous back seats in its class – making it the ultimate family-friendly compact SUV,” said Sinclair.
2023 Carsales Car of the Year, full list of Finalists:
- BMW X1 sDrive 18i
- WM Tank 300 Ultra
- Hyundai Kona Premium 1.6 T-GDi N Line AWD
- Mahindra XUV700 AX7L
- Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami Takumi
- Mercedes-Benz GLC 300
- MG4 Excite 64
- Nissan X-Trail Ti-L e-Power
- Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor
- Range Rover Sport D300 Dynamic SE
2023 Carsales Car of the Year wildcards:
- Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium
- Honda CR-V e:HEV RS
To be eligible for the Carsales Car of the Year award, vehicles must be a series production passenger car or SUV available via dealers or similar distribution channels, new or substantially upgraded, available for testing and on sale prior to December 31, fitted with a reversing camera and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard in all variants and priced under $250,000 (at least one variant, recommended retail price).
