The best brand new car you can buy is an electric take on an old van: VW’s ID.Buzz.
It’s the time of year when motoring awards start getting handed out, and one of the biggest ‘automotive Oscars’ of them all has just crowned Volkswagen’s new electric MPV the best car for 2023 – trumping more affordable rivals with petrol engines.
The retro vehicle – which is inspired by the iconic Type 2 camper of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s and has a 260-mile range – has won the What Car? Car of the Year award on Thursday evening.
But with the beginning of 2023 very much in the clutches of a cost of living crisis, its starting price of £57,115 means it is not a model people watching their spending will be considering this year.
Some 24 individual award categories named the best makes and models across all vehicle segments. See which other new motors What Car? recommends.
Is this really the best new car of the year during a cost-of-living crisis? The VW ID.Buzz has been named What Car? Car of the Year 2023, despite prices starting from over £57,000
The annual What Car? awards hands out trophies to the best car makers for products launched in the previous 12 months.
The ID.Buzz has taken the top honour in 2023, with the magazine’s team of judges saying it stood out for ‘combining the practicality of an MPV with the comfort and desirability of a luxury SUV, while undercutting rivals such as the BMW iX3, Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes-Benz EQC’.
The retro MPV – which is inspired by the iconic Type 2 camper and vans of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s and has a 260-mile range – has won the What Car? of the Year
What Car? says the ID.Buzz has plenty of consumer appeal, with an official all-electric range of 260 miles and charge time (from to 10 to 80 per cent charge) of less than half an hour
ID. Buzz is only the third battery-powered vehicle crowned the best new car in the annual What Car? medal ceremony, which have been held every year since 1978
The interior is smart, bright and clutter free with soft-touch trim and a contemporary ‘Silver Birch’ veneer
It’s only the third time a battery-powered vehicle has been crowned the best new car in the annual medal ceremony, which have been held every year since 1978.
Electric cars that have previously picked up the top honour are both Kia models: the e-Niro taking the accolade in 2019 and the EV6 lifting the trophy in last year’s awards.
What Car? says the ID.Buzz has plenty of consumer appeal, with an official all-electric range of 260 miles and charge time (from to 10 to 80 per cent charge) of less than half an hour.
‘It offers a commanding raised driving position, superb visibility, is extremely quiet and has space to take three children or adults in the back, as well as having an enormous boot,’ the magazine said.
However, the ID.Buzz won’t be for everyone – especially those with tighter budgets and watching the pennies during the cost-of-living crunch.
The entry ID.Buzz Life version costs just over £57,000, while the current range-topping version (ID.Buzz Style) rings in at a massive £61,915.
It means the German electric MPV is more than double the price of the UK’s best-selling car of 2022, the Sunderland-built Nissan Qashqai (starting from £26,405).
Speaking about why the car was crowned this year, What Car? editor Steve Huntingford, said: ‘The ID.Buzz has been eagerly anticipated because of its nostalgic styling, but all of our judges were blown away by the fact it didn’t just live up to expectations but, in fact, was even better than the hype.
‘It’s great to drive, wonderful to be in, has more space than most families could ever ask for and – thanks in part to incredible predicted resale value – substantially undercuts many SUV rivals on a monthly finance deal.
‘This is a car that wins over your head as well as your heart and one that will bring huge amounts of joy to lucky buyers at a time when the costs and challenges of motoring are under greater pressure than ever.’
Dr. Lars Krause, board member for sales and marketing of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, was overjoyed to collect the gong, saying he was ‘thrilled’ that the car has been honoured by one of the brand’s most important markets.
‘The ID Buzz is the reincarnation of an icon and we are thrilled that the experts at What Car? magazine share the enthusiasm of our fans and customers, and have given it the honour of their Car of the Year award,’ he said.
‘The UK is one of our most important markets, and customers here expect the best. We will continue to do all we can to build great cars for you, to develop icons of the future and to ensure the next successful chapter in our brand’s history.’
VW’s ID.Buzz won’t be for everyone – especially those with tighter budgets and watching the pennies during the cost-of-living crunch
The entry ID.Buzz Life version costs just over £57k, while the range-topping version (ID.Buzz Style) rings in at a massive £61,915. That’s more than twice the price of a Nissan Qashqai
What Car?’s editor, Steve Huntingford, said the ID. Buzz is ‘great to drive, wonderful to be in, has more space than most families could ever ask for’
Other big winners on the night included Land Rover, whose big-selling Range Rover Sport was hailed the best luxury car.
At the other end of the scale, celebrated British brand MG – now under Chinese ownership – won best small electric car for its MG4 EV.
The new MG4 EV was unveiled at the end of 2022 and starts from just £25,995, which is half the price of the ID.Buzz.
And it will go further on a full charge, with a quoted distance of 323 miles for its shortest-range version, and up to 365 miles for the longest-range example.
The Tesla Model 3, which – to the annoyance of recent customers – has been subject to a recent price cut, was also honoured.
The US electric saloon dethroned BMW’s 3 Series as the best executive car after the German marque had won the category for the past four years.
Significantly, it also marks the first time an electric car has won the category.
However, BMW did enjoy huge success on the night, taking three category wins for the best coupe (4 Series), best convertible (4 Series Convertible) and the technology award (BMW i7).
That placed it first equal with Volkswagen for manufacturer awards, with VW also lifting the trophy for the best small SUV (Volkswagen T-Roc).
Tesla also racked up three awards in total (best executive Car, efficiency award and safety award), tying with the German rivals.
Another notable winner was the Genesis GV60, which took the award for best electric SUV.
It’s a big achievement for Hyundai’s luxury spin-off brand, with Genesis only launching in the UK in 2021.
Lexus, the premium marque linked to Toyota, yet again won the overall reliability award.
Hits and misses: Has What Car? got it right with winners in the past?
After What Car? presented its top honour to an electric car with a starting price of £57,000 – rather than a more affordable petrol rival – many drivers will question the judging decision.
What Car?’s annual Car of the Year gongs have been handed out since 1978… but has the motoring magazine always got it right?
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it means we can look back to the turn of the century to see if former winners lived up to What Car?’s billing:
2000: Skoda Fabia – HIT
When the Fabia supermini hit the market, it was reliable, cheap to run and built to last. The car essentially transformed Skoda’s image, which has helped make it such a success today.
2001: Ford Mondeo – HIT
The first-generation Mondeo was the best-selling family car in Britain at the time but this follow-up blew everything out of the water at the car’s height of popularity.
2002: Toyota Corolla – HIT
The Corolla was comfortable and practical, if not all that exciting. However, it is still to this date one of the most dependable family hatches sold this side of 2000.
2003: Seat Ibiza – HIT
Under the stewardship of the VW Group, the Ibiza hit the market as an excellent package that undercut rivals on price.
2004: VW Golf MK5 – HIT
Some will argue this is the best modern-era Golf of all, with the Mk6 version being something of a disappointment. Bought in droves, this is a surefire hit.
2005: Land Rover Discovery 3 – MISS
A capable off-roader with loads of luxury, but the third-generation Discovery has proved to be riddled with issues with owners regularly voting it one of the least reliable motors on the road.
Woeful reliability makes the decision to award the Land Rover Discovery 3 a surefire miss
2006: BMW 3 Series – HIT
This 3 Series is the one that helped change the game in the small executive segment as the premium-branded Beemer outsold more affordable rivals from non-prestige marques.
2007: Vauxhall Corsa – HIT
While this version of the Corsa never quite made it to the top of the sales charts, at the time it was the most spacious and comfortable supermini on the market.
2008: Jaguar XF – MISS
While it might have impressed at launch, the XF was no match for its German rivals – and there was a gulf in sales between it and more accomplished models like the BMW 5 Series.
The XF might have impressed the What Car? panel in 2008, but that didn’t translate in terms of sales, with the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class trumping it
2009: Ford Fiesta – HIT
This is the Fiesta that started a 12-year run at the top of the sales charts that ended in 2021. Brilliant to drive, affordable and practical; it could do it all.
2010: Peugeot 3008 – MISS
With compact SUVs growing in popularity, the arrival of the Peugeot 3008 took the segment to a new level of refinement and interior style. But less than impressive engines and rapid depreciation makes this choice a miss.
The 3008 was Peugeot’s early answer to quirky crossovers but a poor engine line-up and rapid depreciation makes it one you might have wanted to avoid
2011: Audi A1 – MISS
There’s not much wrong with the Audi A1, but it hasn’t become the sales success Audi would have hoped. Outsold by the Mini and with prices deemed too steep for a supermini, it has never been the volume seller it hoped for.
2012: Volkswagen Up! – HIT
The Up! arrived and offered levels of interior quality, refinement, space and maturity not seen before in the city car class. It continues to go strong today.
2013: Audi A3 Sportback – HIT
Wonderfully refined, a lovely interior and heaps of refinement kept this generation of the A3 at the top of the premium hatchback segment.
2014: Nissan Qashqai – HIT
The second-gen Qashqai was not only a best-seller in the UK, where it’s built, also went on to be Europe’s most popular crossover with three million sold across the Continent and five million sold globally.
2015: Skoda Fabia – HIT
That’s right, the Fabia has won this award twice since 2000. This generation of Fabia was replaced in 2022, but even by today’s standards feels like an exceptionally well-rounded supermini.
2016: Audi A4 – HIT
When this new A4 arrived, it took the junior executive segment to new levels. However, sales never really reflected this. It was out-sold by the Mercedes C-Class that year.
2017: BMW 5 Series – HIT
One of the most accomplished premium executive saloons to hit the market, it might be expensive but for those who could afford it, it failed to disappoint.
2018: Volvo XC40 – HIT
Probably still the best compact SUV on the market today, though it is still rather pricey.
2019: Kia e-Niro – HIT
With a real-world range of more than 250 miles and a price tag that made it more accessible to a broader audience of drivers, the e-Niro was fully deserving of the 2019 award.
2020: Ford Puma – HIT
The Puma was the most-bought small SUV in 2021. Sharp handling, pokey engines and mild-hybrid tech makes this a certified hit.
2022: Kia EV6 – HIT
With no gong handed out for 2021 due to Covid lockdowns in January 2021, we jump straight to last year’s winner, the electric Kia EV6. While it didn’t break into the top best-selling electric cars of last year, it still remains one of the best quality products and offers a longer range than many of its – more expensive – rivals.
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