Hyundai Kona is the People’s Choice

The people have spoken and the result is clear: the all-new 2023 Hyundai Kona is the 2023 carsales Car of the Year People’s Choice.

From a field of hundreds of eligible model variants, we whittled down our 2023 COTY field to 30 contenders and then 10 finalists plus two wildcards on the way to announcing the 2023 carsales Car of the Year, proudly presented by Bingle, this Wednesday (November 15).

But in the meantime you had your say via our People’s Choice reader poll, which opened on November 1 and closed this morning (November 13), by which time the result was clear-cut.

Although it received a smaller proportion of votes than in previous polls, this year’s People’s Choice nabbed 12 per cent of your nominations – enough for it to edge out the Mahindra XUV700 (11%), which surprisingly fended off the Polestar 2 in third place with 10.5 per cent of the votes.

Behind the new small SUV, new mid-size SUV and heavily upgraded electric fastback was the all-new Mazda CX-90 (10%) and another large luxury SUV, the latest Range Rover Sport (9%), while a second EV, the all-new MG4 electric hatch, attracted 8.5 per cent of the votes.

New SUVs filled out the second half of the People’s Choice vote tally, led by the new Mercedes-Benz GLC (8%), followed by the Honda CR-V (7.5%), GWM Tank 300 (7%), Ford Mustang Mach-E (6.5%) – the third EV among this year’s finalists – and the smaller BMW X1 (5%).

What you voted for:

Once again you lot were vocal with comments on the models you voted for, with the Hyundai Kona receiving the most positive reaction.

“I chose the Hyundai Kona. They’re a small SUV big enough to fit friends and family in and still remains sporty,” said one reader. “The outside has eye-catching features. They seem to be cheaper-looking interior compared to the other competitors, but honestly I have test-drove one and I really like how it feels and handles. Much more responsive than I thought.”

“Just a lovely car to drive,” said another. “Enough power for the majority of normal drivers who are not looking for high performance. All you could ask for with technology and presentation. A few hard-touch surfaces but mainly in high-wear areas, dash can always have a mat. More affordable, with proven company quality backing it. Looks good, subject to personal opinion, comfortable and roomy for the class category.”

The Mahindra XUV700 also received lots of love, “Because, in this time of rising cost of living, this represents a reasonable driving vehicle at a price that fits tight budgets,” as one reader said.

“Resale, at least it is an ICE so actually will always have a value. It also has general usability and drivability that suits the family, not the racetrack.”

“I might be bit bias with my decision. Growing up in India I witnessed how rugged Mahindra SUVs are and how far they’ve come. I actually own one of this XUV700 in AU and I don’t have much to complain about this car. It is lots of car for the $$ you pay. Can write an essay about this car. I really hope Mahindra wins here,” said another.

The Polestar 2 also attracted its fair share of fans.

“It is good value for money in the EV, is RWD and has a great interior for a Sino-Volvo,” said one reader.

“Great-looking car that offers impressive EV range and good RWD dynamics. A viable alternative to the ICE German sedans in the same price bracket,” said another.

“Not in the market for an SUV and this car is the pick of the sports sedans among the finalists,” said one voter in what appeared to be a common theme for our final podium placer.

The Mazda CX-90 also received plenty of support, with one voter saying: “Good-looking, extremely luxurious, especially for a Mazda. Well-built, classy and has presence. Gives that original X5/Q7 kind of vibe.”

Another said: “It is a beautifully smart and modern vehicle that even though doesn’t show off any overly unique features, but stands out from the crowd.

“Mazda taking the risk to make an inline-six, rear-wheel drive platform should be encouraged regardless of how good it is. It is hopefully the start of something great.”

As usual, the Range Rover Sport was lauded by a legion of unequivocal readers.

“The best all-round car, end of story. Drives well, looks good, goes anywhere on and off road, tows anything, takes a family, reliable. Yes, they're expensive but you get what you pay for. Oh, and it has an ultra-efficient and modern diesel engine which produces about the same CO2 per km as an EV,” said one.

“Ticks every box conceivable. There is nothing that can be asked of a vehicle that the Range Rover Sport D300 does not do better than most everything else that do some things well,” said another.

The MG4 attracted a big proportion of comments, even if it placed sixth overall in the vote tally.

“An affordable EV, reasonable range, and bespoke EV architecture. Sure it’s not perfect, however, at its price point, I personally think it’s the only option here that is allowing more people into the new era of vehicles (EVs).”

“Most-improved brand, have listened to its Australian customers with regards build quality and wants. May not be perfect, but is by far the most enticing option here,” said another MG4 voter.

“Because it’s finally an affordable EV that’s not the size of a house – something a lot of Australians are asking for. It’s also significantly better than the rest of the MG range – a real turning point for the brand,” added another.

Indeed, affordability appeared to be the catchcry of MG4 supporters, one of which said: “The MG4 Excite 64 EV hatch is an affordable electric vehicle (whilst the Excite 51 is more affordable), has decent range of 450km WLTP and good acceleration, it is rear-wheel drive which provides it reasonable handling, the dash layout is easy to learn and is not a safety distraction like Tesla products, it looks great, is practical (apart from no spare tyre), comes with iConnect and a good range of safety features (but disappointingly not blind spot monitoring) and it has the backing of the MG seven-year warranty.”

Mercedes-Benz GLC voters were also vocal, with one saying: “Process of elimination. I obviously haven’t driven them all but I won’t be buying an electric vehicle nor a Chinese-made one for now. It would come down to the CX-90 or GLC. Being a 300 the GLC will have some get-up-and-go.”

Another added: “Mercedes’ reputation speaks for itself as a prestige auto manufacturer. The new GLC 300 again confirms this with its improvements and upgrades over the previous model. The only negative is the high price tag which takes it out of most people’s budget although this is not the only vehicle in these finalists that is beyond most people’s shopping list because of its price.”

Despite ranking eighth, the new Honda CR-V attracted plenty of positive comments.

“Honda have finally put together a car that works for aesthetics, versatility and technology. Compared to its competitors, it is just better put-together,” said one voter.

“Great to drive and one of the best price-quality cars on the market. One of the few cars that buyers don’t get ripped off with optional extras,” said another.

Perhaps the most positive were GWM Tank 300 voters, one of which said: “I love the boxy shape and affordable price compared to other similar vehicles.”

“Value, performance and a genuine off-road family car at a family price with a family warranty. Well done GWM. PS: Head-up display please,” said another, adding: “Value and an all-rounder if you're not a brand snob.”

“It is a worthy buy against a Toyota Prado or any other vehicle in its class because it looks cool and is much cheaper,” was another consistent thread.

Ford's first dedicated EV also earned plenty of praise, with one reader commenting: “Practicality, style, performance and the iconic Mustang badge” and another adding simply: “Styling, great features and adequate driving range.”

One more detailed comment heaped even more accolades on the Ford Mustang Mach-E, saying: “Absolutely smashing performance and looks. Ford took their time to perfect reliability as they are committed to this being their future.

“EVs have tended to be rapid but not engaging. The Mach-E seems to be an actual attempt to put some emotion into the EV ownership experience. Crucially it’s also an EV for Australian lifestyles from an established mainstream brand.

“We have EV family SUVs [from] luxury or new brands, or we have EVs from more established brands but are a ‘bit’ different … this feels like the EV your neighbour would drive.”

The classy new Nissan X-TRAIL also received plenty of positivity – especially for its innovative e-POWER range-extender hybrid tech – even if it didn’t land many votes.

“The new X-TRAIL has surprised many pundits with its quality of design and function. The e-POWER is an interesting concept of which I believe would suit many consumers,” said one reader.

“Interesting technology. I think it is well suited to the long distances in Australia. It’s a good stepping stone to EVs for most people until we get solid-state batteries. All the benefits of EVs without the range anxiety. Plus the pricing makes it quite accessible for a lot of people,” said another.

Finally, the new BMW may have received the least votes, but its supporters were just as convincing.

“Test-drove a handful of cars and found the X1 to be the best,” said one X1 voter. “The large curved screen is amazing and I found the sDrive 18i quite spritely considering it’s a 1.5-litre three-cylinder. I was also surprised by the large number of safety and tech features included in even the base model.

“I have yet to find an interior as sleek and modern as the new X1. Driving visibility all round is excellent and the vehicle is easy to manoeuvre when parking. It’s no wonder the X1 has been a top seller for BMW worldwide. For the luxury small/medium SUV market, the X1 is a class-leader.”

Released in July, the new Hyundai Kona is more expensive than before with a starting price of $32,000, but price increases are more modest further up the extensive small SUV range, which includes sporty N-Line and Premium trim grades, 2.0-litre and more powerful 1.6 turbo engines, and both economical hybrid powertrains and pure-electric versions still to come.

Congratulations to the Hyundai Kona for claiming our People’s Choice award for 2023. Watch this space on Wednesday (November 15) to find out which model is named 2023 carsales Car of the Year, proudly presented by Bingle.