ACROSS THE BOARD, WE FOUND THE LARGEST DIFFERENTIATOR IN VEHICLES TODAY IS TECHNOLOGY.

This year’s Newsweek autos Awards winners are customer favorites that have evolved to be better, whether it be with a generational redo or a mid-generation refresh. A few new arrivals also won, and almost all of those are electric vehicles.

Newsweek’s Autos editors rated cars in two ways: by test driving them and by comparing their standard and available features and specifications to those of other vehicles in the same category. The team drove around 200 vehicles and rated them in seven categories: performance, handling and braking, technology, cargo area, seating, interior appointments and pricing. We ranked vehicles on sale now in the U.s.—for some that means the 2022 model year, for others 2023. Many may be hard to come by due to the industry’s continuing supply chain problems. Because electric vehicles compete directly with gasoline, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, Newsweek does not award separate trophies for electric vehicles.

Jeep and Ford are the biggest brand winners this year, each taking home four awards. After numerous additions in 2021, Jeep’s SUV line continued to grow in 2022 with the luxe tworow Grand Cherokee SUV and its electrified Grand Cherokee 4xe variant making their way to dealers. Ford meanwhile continues to win for its truck line with the budget-friendly, compact Maverick pickup checking multiple boxes for buyers who want to pair utility with capability and low monthly payments.

Automakers are working to produce increasingly popular “soft off-roaders,” trail-ready vehicles that have the look, but not the prowess or price tags, of heartier SUVS and trucks.

According to Robby Degraff, industry analyst at the Autopacific consulting firm, “From the Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition to Ford’s Timberline and Tremor sub brands, Honda Trailsport and even Toyota with the Woodland Special Edition for the Sienna, I don’t see this trend disappearing any time soon.”

That doesn’t mean, though, that true off-roaders have been left behind. Land Rover’s redesigned Range Rover 4x4 takes home two awards this year. Ford’s Bronco SUV wins a special award as an Editor’s Pick, thanks in no small part to its especially good Bronco Raptor performance off-roader and Bronco Everglades swamp traveler. Newsweek’s autos team tested these two models in their native environments, the Raptor on the fabled King of the Hammers course outside Palm Springs, California, and the Bronco Everglades on Drummond Island, Michigan, after days of heavy rainfall.

Elsewhere Hyundai and Kia, both under the Hyundai Motor Group umbrella, won by selling vehicles that deliver easy to use and understand technology, from the Hyundai Kona SUV and Santa Cruz truck to the Kia K5 sedan, Carnival minivan and Sportage SUV. Kona was refreshed for the 2022 model year and Sportage is the first of a new generation for 2023.

Across the board, we found the largest differentiator in vehicles today is technology. Comparing models within their own class shows that infotainment, safety and driver assist technology are quickly becoming key reasons buyers choose to make a purchase or look at something else. Another Hyundai brand, Genesis, for instance, wins our most innovative vehicle brand thanks to a host of unique technologies that come on its new GV60 small electric SUV.

▸ Eileen Falkenberg-hull is Newsweek’s senior editor of Autos and co-host of Newsweek’s Fast women podcast. Social media: @WRITEEILEEN, @Fastwomenshow