New Car Awards 2022: Tuesday 5 July

It’s time once again to celebrate an amazing 12 months of new cars at the Auto Express New Car Awards. The 2022 instalment of our flagship awards event is all set for the evening of Tuesday July 5 where we’ll be revealing the best cars you can buy in the UK right now.

This year we’re delighted to announce that the New Car Awards are brought to you in association with Hankook tyres, with the electric car and van categories in association with Osprey Charging.

It’s been another action packed year in the automotive industry with significant challenges for manufacturers and consumers to overcome, but the stream of stunning new car launches has just kept on flowing. Can the newcomers eclipse the incumbents and take home the big awards? We’ll find out very soon.

On the night we’ll be presenting the New Car Awards across 29 categories that cover all sectors of the increasingly diverse modern car market. From city cars and superminis through SUVs and estates to hybrids and electric cars, the New Car Awards will once again reveal the best cars to buy in each class. We’ll also be recognising the most impressive technological advancements and some of the amazing people who make the industry what it is. The highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the 2022 Auto Express Car of the Year. 

The 2022 Auto Express New Car Awards get underway on the evening of Tuesday 5 July and we’ll be revealing the winners right here from around 9pm. Join us to find out which cars take home the big prizes before anyone else. You’ll be able to read all about the winning cars and why they were successful, then the special collector’s issue of Auto Express magazine will be in newsagents the following morning.

Bookmark us now and follow our social media accounts to get news of the 2022 New Car Awards winners first. You can have your say on our choices by using the #aeawards hashtag.

To get your special New Car Awards issue of Auto Express magazine click the links below…

The 2022 Auto Express New Car Awards categories are detailed below. We’re naming a Car of the Year winner in each car category. Then all the winners all go forward into contention for the big one – the overall Car of the Year 2022 award…

Auto Express has collated a list of the best new cars on sale today ahead of our annual New Car Awards ceremony, which will see one of the contenders crowned overall Car of the Year 2022. Our expert reviewers have chosen the five best cars in 25 categories, with the winners being announced on July 5 at the New Car Awards. 

The categories span the entire car industry, with everything from supermini of the year to performance car and electric van of the year. Each model is judged according to its intended use case and against its key rivals, with only the best offerings in each sector making the grade. 

At the bite-sized end of the scale, cars like the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10 will battle for City Car of the Year, with the big-hitting Mercedes GLS and Land Rover Defender among our favourite large SUVs of the year.

On the sportier side of things, the recently facelifted Ford Fiesta ST goes up against the formidable Hyundai i20N for Hot Hatch of the Year honours, as well as more powerful competition in the shape of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S and Audi RS 3. Elsewhere, the new Toyota GR86 impressed us in prototype form, but can it win Coupe of the Year against cars like the Alpine A110 and Porsche’s 718 Cayman?

Of course, we haven’t ignored pure EVs and hybrids – there are five categories dedicated to electrified models, including Affordable Electric Car of the Year and the best premium hybrid car of 2022.

Speaking about this year’s New Car Awards, Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler said: “It’s very easy to buy a new car badly and very difficult to buy a new car well. Now more than ever consumers need trusted advice when buying their next car – there is so much choice, new technologies and looming changes in legislation to get their heads around, it can be a minefield. Our awards provide them with the advice they need to buy the right car at the right price.

“In spite of everything else that’s going on in the world right now, our data proves there’s still strong demand for new cars. And it’s these models – and the people who make, market and sell them – that we’ll be celebrating at the Auto Express Awards on 5th July.”

At the end of the ceremony, Auto Express will crown its 2022 Car of the Year. Last year’s winner was the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Congratulations to all the manufacturers with cars on the shortlist…

When we announce the 2022 Auto Express New Car Awards, the respective reigns of our 2021 champions come to an end – unless they’ve retained their crowns. Remind yourself of the cars that took the 2021 New Car Awards by clicking the links below…

New Car Awards 2021: introduction

Luxury Car of the Year 2021: Bentley Flying Spur

Car of the Year 2021: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hot Hatch of the Year 2021: Hyundai i20 N

City Car of the Year 2021: Fiat 500

Coupe of the Year 2021: Alpine A110

Supermini of the Year 2021: Renault Clio 

Convertible of the Year 2021: MINI Convertible

Family Car of the Year 2021: Skoda Octavia

Performance Car of the Yea 2021: Toyota GR Yaris

Estate Car of the Year 2021: Skoda Octavia Estate

Affordable Electric Car of the Year 2021: Renault Zoe

Small Company Car of the Year 2021: Volkswagen ID.3

Premium Electric Car of the Year 2021: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Mid-size Company Car of the Year 2021: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Affordable Hybrid Car of the Year 2021: Toyota Yaris

Large Company Car of the Year 2021: Mercedes E-Class

Premium Hybrid Car of the Year 2021: Mercedes E-Class

Small SUV of the Year 2021: Renault Captur

Pick-up of the Year 2021: Ford Ranger

Mid-size SUV of the Year 2021: Hyundai Tucson

Van of the Year 2021: Ford Transit Custom

Large SUV of the Year 2021: SEAT Tarraco

Electric Van of the Year 2021: Vauxhall Vivaro-e

Small Premium SUV of the Year 2021: Mercedes GLA

Design Award 2021: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Mid-size Premium SUV of the Year 2021: Land Rover Defender

Technology Award 2021: Citroen Ami

Large Premium SUV of the Year 2021: BMW X5

Previous winners

What would be your car of the year? Let us know in the comments…