Citroen e-C3 crowned Britain’s best new car

Our sister-site Auto Express has revealed the winners of the 2024 Car of the Year Awards, and it’s the electric Citroen e-C3 that’s come out on top. The new electric supermini won the overall Car of the Year prize, an impressive feat for a car that costs from little over £20,000.

The e-C3 faced tough competition from all areas of the car market, including the latest luxurious SUVs and affordable hatchbacks rivals. The judges felt that none could quite match the value-for-money offered by the Citroen, however, which delivers exactly what many of today’s car buyers are looking for.

Carbuyer Best Car Awards 2024 - the winners

The judges voted across 27 categories, with 26 different models picking up awards. Read on to find out the key winners or, to find out the cars that owners like the most, read the Driver Power 2024 survey results.

Auto Express Car of the Year 2024 winner: Citroen e-C3

Of all the cars on sale in 2024, the new Citroen e-C3 won the outright Car of the Year award. It serves as an excellent representation of the direction that the electric car market is beginning to shift towards; priced from just over £20,000, it’s a capable car that costs half as much as the EVs of only a few years ago, and far less than many of its competitors.

It wasn’t just affordability that set the Citroen e-C3 apart. Newcomers like the MG3 and BYD Dolphin also deliver low-cost motoring, but the e-C3 impressed in other key areas, too, including comfort and practicality. The petrol-powered Citroen C3 also picked up the award for best supermini, thanks to an even more affordable starting price.

All in, the judges felt that the Citroen e-C3 was exactly the right car for the current moment. As cars today grow larger and more expensive, the little French EV demonstrates that Citroen knows exactly what buyers need and can deliver it at a price that appeals to the masses.

Read our in-depth review of the Citroen e-C3 for the Carbuyer verdict…

Auto Express Car of the Year 2024: Other award winners

There’s more than just one winner at the Auto Express Car of the Year Awards. The judges voted for their favourite models across 27 categories, ranging from Supermini of the Year to Large Premium SUV of the Year – we’ve covered three highlights below.

Family Car of the Year: Skoda Octavia

Fresh from a mid-life facelift, the Skoda Octavia picked up the award for Family Car of the Year. Judges were keen to highlight the broad talents of the Octavia – it’s comfortable, clever, efficient and well-equipped, all important attributes for families. With both hatchback and estate bodies to choose from, as well a selection of petrol and diesel engines, there’s an Octavia for pretty much everyone. 

Read our in-depth review of the Skoda Octavia for the Carbuyer verdict…

Small SUV of the Year: Dacia Duster

With the outgoing Dacia Duster fresh off an outright win in our Driver Power 2024 survey, it’s the all-new model that was voted the Small SUV of the Year by the judges. The ethos of the Duster has remained the same from the first to the second generation – it’s still an affordable, rugged and spacious SUV – but there’s an improved sense of polish and modernity.

Read our in-depth review of the Dacia Duster for the Carbuyer verdict…

Large SUV of the Year: Skoda Kodiaq

The first-generation Skoda Kodiaq was the winner of the 2024 Carbuyer Best Large Family Car award, so it’s no surprise that the new model was voted Large SUV of the Year by the Auto Express judges. It improves upon the old model in practically every way, with more interior space, better build quality and a lengthy standard kit list. Like all Skodas, value-for-money is the Kodiaq’s strong suit. It’s just as capable as SUVs from more premium brands, making it the sensible choice for families.

Read our in-depth review of the Skoda Kodiaq for the Carbuyer verdict…