The MG4 EV is a triple award winner in the newly-refreshed Parkers New Car Awards 2024.

It’s significant that an electric car takes the crown in the first year that EVs and petrol/diesel cars go head-to-head in the merged family car categories. Another major change is the launch of the separate Parkers Van and Pickup Awards 2024, with the winners being announced in two days’ time (15 November).

With the share for EVs now approaching 20% of the UK new-car market, electric cars are beginning to reach a critical mass. Since the first Parkers New Car Awards in 2017, the showroom choice has leapt eightfold. Back then, 132 EV make/model/spec variations were on sale in Britain, and that number has jumped to 1,026 in November 2023. This explosion in choice made Parkers’ judges consider the time is right to combine all fuels, and base the awards on a car’s physical size, and not what powers it.

The best family car right now is the all-electric MG4 EV. 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. This trio of accolades celebrates the MG’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 space for four. Build quality is excellent considering the price and it’s incredibly easy to live with. The MG 4 has physical shortcut buttons for the infotainment system, which means drivers aren’t relentlessly poking at the screen to do something as mundane as change the temperature of the air-conditioning.

On the road, the MG4 EV makes an even more convincing case for itself. Around town, it’s comfortable and easy to drive. 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.

Alan Taylor-Jones, New Cars Editor of Parkers, said: ‘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 Parkers’ new level playing field. Now that EVs no longer have their own special categories, any winning battery car 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 Parkers Car of The Year award in 2023 and has now claimed the Best Medium Family Car prize for 2024. The Skoda Fabia returns as 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 Mk6 Fiesta (2008–2017), taking home the spoils in the Best Used Car category.

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 ever going to neatly assimilate into our lives.’

He continued: ‘New charger rollouts are gaining pace, but they still lag behind the acceleration of electric car sales – and that compromises the day-to-day usefulness of battery-powered cars. There’s also little advantage in terms of fuel costs if you rely on expensive 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.’

Full details of all the Parkers New Car Awards can be found at: www.parkers.co.uk/car-awards/

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