By Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson in Brisbane

ELECTRIC cars have dominated the annual Carsales Car of the Year Awards with one of the cheapest models in Australia claiming top spot, while another two ranked as runners-up over their petrol-powered equivalents. 

The MG4 electric hatchback was named as the best new vehicle of 2023 on Wednesday after being assessed by 10 judges and awarded points based on value for money.

The electric car – one of just three in Australia to launch for less than $40,000 – is the third battery-powered vehicle in a row to claim the Carsales title following wins by the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Carsales editor-in-chief Mike Sinclair said judges cast their votes after a week of testing cars on public and closed roads, and awarded vehicles points for their safety, innovation and technology, practicality and presentation, as well as driving performance.

Eight of the 10 judges voted MG’s electric hatchback as the competition’s clear winner.

“Its trump card is excellent dynamics and that makes it a worthy winner of our flagship award,” Mr Sinclair said.

“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.”

RedBook also assessed finalist vehicles total cost of ownership, residual value and specifications to determine the winner.

MG Motor chief executive Peter Ciao said the award proved the company’s newest electric vehicle was a market “trailblazer” and showed EVs could deliver high performance at lower prices.

“The MG4 proves that electric vehicles can be sustainable, affordable, fun, safe and technologically advanced all at once,” he said.

Carsales judges also issued “highly commended” ratings to two other electric vehicles, the refreshed Polestar 2 and the Hyundai Kona SUV.

The three electric vehicles topped a varied field of 10 finalists and two wildcard entrants in the Carsales awards, including the BMW X1, Mazda CX-90, Range Rover Sport and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Electric vehicle sales have surged in Australia this year, with more than 71,000 new models sold by the end of October, according to data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

The figure represents triple the number of electric cars sold during the same time last year, when consumers bought more than 23,000 EVs.

FCAI’s sales data also showed Australians bought 751 MG4 vehicles during October, representing more than one in four sold in the small-car category.