And the winners are...
2018 was a stand-out year for new cars. NAT BARNES hands out our coveted Motoring Oscars for the past 12 months
BEST 4X4: BMW X5
THE original BMW X5 was a game-changer when it first arrived in 1999 and more than 2.2-million worldwide sales later, it’s still setting the standard with this fourth-generation version. With a larger X7 on its way in 2019 and the competent X3 beneath it, this £57,495 X5 could have lost it way, but instead it is better than ever.
Refined, comfortable and excellent to drive, it may have lost some of its sportier sharpness compared to its predecessors, but few owners are likely to notice, as virtually every other element of the car has improved. Sharing a class with the Volvo XC90 and Land Rover Discovery is not easy, but this X5 is hard to fault.
BEST FAMILY SALOON: Peugeot 508
YOU don’t have to have Mensa membership to know that crossovers are dominating sales right now and the rep-mobile family saloon market is one of the biggest affected. So it’s ironic that Peugeot has produced such a strong non-crossover candidate in the form of its stunning new 508.
Starting from £25,039, the 508 has a new hatchback body, is better looking inside and out, great to drive as well as being comfortable and light-years ahead of is predecessor. Even better, there’s an SW estate version on its way in 2019.
BEST HOT HATCH: Ford Fiesta ST
FORD’S reputation in the hot hatch market is well deserved with its long heritage of XR, ST and RS models. This latest Fiesta ST certainly lives up to that. Priced from £19,495, the ST combines some impressive pocket rocket speed with sporty looks and a new optional Performance Pack.
It’s this Performance Pack that enables you to exploit the ST’s handling to the full and defines this hot Fiesta as one of the best small hot hatches on the road. Point-to-point, it’s capable of humiliating so-called sports cars at several times the price, it’s no exaggeration to say that this is probably one of the best cars ever to wear that emotive Ford ST badge.