AA Car Awards 2023

The 2nd AA Ireland Car Awards took place on October 6th 2023. AA Ireland invited the best motoring journalists in Ireland, from the top-selling and most respected media outlets, to vote for what will be, in their view, Ireland’s best cars across a variety of categories, including three electric vehicle categories.

The jurors voted and the overall winner of the 2023 AA Car Awards is the new Hyundai Ioniq 6. It deserves the accolades for a number of reasons. It’s impossible to ignore its unusual styling for a start, which can admittedly divide opinion. However, the slippery body was designed with aerodynamics in mind and reducing drag as the car flows through the air. This means the Ioniq 6 is incredibly efficient, more efficient than an SUV using the same electric powertrain would be.

The entry-level model, costing just over €45,000 at the time of writing, manages a useful 429 kilometres between charges, but it’s the versions with the 77.4kWh battery that grab the headlines, topping 614 kilometres according to official numbers. That’s astounding given the price point. What’s more, the Ioniq 6 delivers this efficiency while being fun to drive and refined, too. Inside, the Ioniq 6 carries on where the Ioniq 5 before it started, using high-quality finishes and lots of equipment to really set it apart from most other cars in the sector.

Runners Up

MG4

The reinvention of the famous old MG brand took a step up with the launch of the MG4 hatchback. Not only does it get thoroughly modern looks and a spacious and well-appointed cabin, but it’s a serious bargain, too. Admittedly, prices have increased since the MG4 first arrived in Ireland, but a starting price of €30,995 (including all incentives) ensures that the electric hatch still represents great value for money. The cherry on the cake is that the MG4 actually drives with real enthusiasm, making it a joy to own. And it would appear that MG hasn’t given up on its sports-car roots, either, as there’s a 435hp MG4 XPower due for launch in the coming months.

BYD Atto 3

BYD didn’t exist in Ireland at the time of last year’s awards, so it’s quite an achievement for its first Irish model, the Atto 3 crossover, to be shortlisted in several categories. It’s quite unassuming on the outside, and it gets the job done with its 204hp electric motor, but the interior is full of interesting features and BYD Ireland has priced it from well under €40,000 to grab buyers’ attention. We’ll be seeing lots more from this Chinese brand in the coming years.

The other category winners were:

Best City Car – Volkswagen e-Up!

Best Supermini – Skoda Fabia

Best Family Hatchback – Ford Focus

Best Large Family Car – Skoda Superb

Best Small Crossover – Toyota Yaris Cross

Best Medium Crossover – Renault Austral

Best Large Crossover – Skoda Kodiaq

Best Performance Car – BMW M2

Best Compact Executive – BMW i4

Best Large Executive – Mercedes-Benz EQE

Best Budget EV – MG4

Best Family EV – Skoda Enyaq

Best Luxury EV – BMW i7

The main category winners can come from any new car on sale, regardless of when it was released, to give consumers a good view of what the jury views as the best cars on sale in their categories, with the overall winner coming from cars released leading up to the start of the 2023 car market (October 2022 to October 2023). The AA Ireland Car Awards jury is made up of Ireland’s foremost car writers and critics including our own David O’Caoimh.