Parkers New Car Awards 2024

Car of The Year | Parkers New Car Awards 2024

The new MG4 EV is the Parkers Car of the Year for 2024 after sweeping to victory in the hard-fought Best Small Family Car and Best Value Car categories.

The MG4 EV is a triple award winner in the newly-refreshed 2024. It’s only right that an electric car takes the crown in the first year that the EVs and ICE cars go head-to-head in the merged family car categories. Another major change is that we’re launching the separated Van and Pickup Awards 2024, with the winners being revealed on 15 November.

With the share for EVs now approaching 20% of the UK market, they’re beginning to reach a critical mass. Since the first Parkers New Car Awards in 2017, the choice has multiplied. Back then, 132 EV make and model variations were on sale, and that number has ballooned to 1,026 in November 2023. So, the time is right to combine cars of all fuels, and base the awards on their size, and not what powers them.

The Parkers Car of The Year is...

The best family car right now is the all-electric MG4 EV. But not only has it claimed the outright Parkers Car of the Year award, but it has also taken home the gongs in the hard-fought Best Small Family Car and Best Value Car categories. The trio of accolades the car’s unrivalled combination of value, performance, range and practicality.

It really is an outstanding offering. Inside, there’s more than enough room for an average family, with a well-sized boot and enough for four.

On the road, the MG4 EV makes an even more convincing case for itself. However, it also satisfies the demands of keen drivers thanks to its well-weighted steering, excellent brakes and lively performance. You really do get the best of both worlds here.

The experts at Parkers, the UK’s biggest new-car buying and advice website, were all impressed by the MG4 EV. Alan Taylor-Jones, New Cars Editor: ‘Normally, we offer plenty of caveats when recommending MGs, but the MG4 is a genuinely excellent electric hatchback at a price that’s barely believable. It’s also great to drive, balancing handling and comfort expertly – and range and efficiency are both exactly where they need to be.’

Keith Adams, Editor of Parkers, added: ‘Taking the top honours in the Parkers New Car Awards 2024 is a remarkable achievement for MG. It's great to see the brand going from strength to strength under its current owners.’

Reflecting this normalisation of electric cars, the Kia EV6 and BMW i7 join the MG4 EV in being the first electric winners on this new level playing field. Now that EVs no longer have their own special categories, any winning EV must be a true class leader because it also must topple its combustion-powered rivals.

A notable repeat winner from last year’s awards is the stellar Honda Civic. It won the outright 2023 Parkers Car of the Year award and has now claimed the Best Medium Family Car award 2024. The Skoda Fabia returns as the Best First Car, while the remarkable Alpine A110 retains its position as the Best Fun Car. The Volkswagen Multivan is also the Parkers Best Seven-Seater for the second year running.

There’s a new winner in the shape of the Tesla Model Y in the Best Company Car category. However, Ford returns to the rostrum with the Mk7 Fiesta (2008–2017), taking home the spoils in the Best Used Car category.

The Commercial Vehicle of The Year is...

Ford Transit Custom - Van of The Year

Ford has emerged as a multiple winner in the first Parkers Van and Pickup Awards. The UK’s biggest-selling commercial vehicle brand was a clear winner, not only taking Commercial Vehicle of The Year with the all-new Transit Custom, but also winning Best Medium Van while the Best Electric Van award goes to the E-Transit. Adding to Ford’s bulging trophy cabinet, the Ranger wins the Best Pickup prize.

Britain’s van and pickup market is flourishing with 10 consecutive months of growth and the annual sales forecast by trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) increasing to 332,000 registrations. Unlike the Parkers New Car Awards 2024, the Parkers Van and Pickup Awards 2024 continues with a separate electric van category, owing to the continued dominance of diesel in this market as van makers continue to catch up.

The best van on sale in the UK in 2024 is the all-new Ford Transit Custom. Not only has it claimed the outright Commercial Vehicle of The Year award, but it has also been victorious in the Best Medium Van category. It would be a shock if the successor to a multi-award-winning van wasn’t good, but the Transit Custom’s innovations are genuinely clever and make it stand out from rivals in the market.

Tom Webster, Deputy Head of the Digital Automotive Hub and Vans Editor, said: ‘This year’s Custom is all-new but does so much more than continue where its predecessor left off. It’s packed with tech, with so many driver assistance systems and such an excellent base offering of interior equipment that nothing else matches it. In short, the best got better.’

A word on the progress of electification

Keith Adams said: ‘The tide of electrification is unstoppable, even if the government has confused the situation by moving the petrol- and diesel-powered car ban from 2030 to 2035. Carmakers are doing their part by launching some amazing new models, but there’s still a lot of work to do on the UK’s public charging infrastructure if EVs are ’

He continued: ‘New charger rollouts are gaining pace, but they still lag behind the acceleration of car sales – and that compromises the day-to-day usefulness of battery-powered car. There’s also little advantage in terms of fuel costs if you rely on public chargers. The biggest concern I have is the high cost to buy an EV. But the MG4 EV shows that cost reductions can be passed on to the consumer. Others need to follow suit.

‘Parkers has been on the side of car buyers for more than half a century and we’re aware of the macro-economic challenges facing drivers right now. As such, we think it’s the right time to recommend an affordable, fun and eco-friendly car like the MG4 EV. Here’s hoping we have more to choose from next year.’