This year's Newsweek Autos Awards winners reflect an industry in a period of recovery and also of change.
The supply chain crises of the past few years—particularly in semiconductor chips—have eased. Automakers are seeing better sales while they roll out models that were in the pipeline well before the pandemic. The transition to electric powertrains continues. Vehicles of all kinds are becoming highly technologically advanced. Yet buyers still want what they've always wanted: cars and light trucks that are safe, reliable, stylish and affordable.
This year's winners include some of the greenest and most luxurious vehicles made today. They pump up the volume on performance and many deliver more bang for buck than ever before, including the smallest models on our list. They come from brands foreign and domestic, new and old. Our biggest winner overall was Kia with six awards. Honda and GMC had four awards apiece, followed by Land Rover, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes, each with three.
Newsweek's Autos editors rated cars two ways: test driving them and comparing standard and available features and specifications to other vehicles in the same category. The team drove about 200 vehicles and rated them in seven categories: performance, handling and braking, technology, cargo area, seating, interior appointments and pricing. For our Editors' Picks, our standards were a bit more subjective—these are simply vehicles that particularly knocked us out. This year, we've also singled out the best new technology features. All these vehicles are on sale now in the U.S.—for some that means the 2023 model year, for others 2024.
Fixing the Mix
After years of promoting large trucks and SUVs, carmakers are now bringing smaller entry-level models to market.
"There is significant pent-up demand at the lower end of the market, partly due to fallout from the pandemic and supply chain shortages," Paul Waatti, manager of industry analysis at AutoPacific, an automotive market research firm, tells Newsweek.
As those forces—not to mention inflation—drove up prices of both new and used cars, entry-level buyers had trouble finding anything they could afford. According to Tony Salerno, managing director and practice leader for automotive advisory and analytics at consumer data firm J.D. Power, carmakers now "are desperate to shift from the 'build the most expensive mix possible' to 'build a balanced mix of more affordable, profitable products.'
"In October 2022," he says, "less than 17 percent of all vehicles sold were priced under $30,000. That mix is now over 20 percent."
Budget-conscious buyers now have plenty of choices. Waatti says, "The 2024 Chevrolet Trax [a Newsweek editors' pick]—arguably the best combination of value, style and versatility on the market—and slightly more upscale Buick Envista have breathed new life into GM's gateway models in sleek SUV form. Ford reenvisioned what form an entry-level model can be with its Maverick pickup. Nissan remains committed to affordability with Versa and Sentra for sedan buyers. New, larger versions of the Nissan Kicks and Kia Forte are just around the corner for value-seeking SUV customers."
At the same time, carmakers have been working to give inflation weary buyers at all levels good reason to spend. One big theme is customization. Salerno says, "Customization programs are designed to emotionally connect the consumer with the vehicle." For example, Cadillac's new Celestiq EV sedan, he says, can be sufficiently customized that a customer can own a "one-of-one vehicle." Similarly, for the Rolls-Royce Spectre, a Newsweek Award Winner in two categories, the interior, the colors, patterns, textures and styles of the interior are fully customizable.
Waatti says, "Luxury automakers are increasingly offering personalized experiences and new levels of customization that span technology, material and color choices, many of which are now premium eco-friendly options."
Sustainability Everywhere
Vehicles at all levels are Getting more eco-friendly. "Sustainability is something every industry is trying to market themselves as, and auto brands are no different," Salerno says. Models of all sizes now achieve over 30 miles per gallon regularly. Some, like the Toyota Prius and Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, are rated at over 50 miles per gallon by the Environmental Protection Agency.
But lower emissions are only part of the equation. Supply chain carbon neutrality is also on the minds of automakers, and buyers are starting to see eco-friendly and sustainably sourced materials at the most common touch points.
Waatti says, "Volvo and Polestar are great examples of brands that own this sustainable narrative as a brand identity. Kia is spotlighting these initiatives in the latest offerings like the EV9 [a Newsweek Award Winner]. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fisker and Rivian have also been prominent in sustainability and sourcing."
As for the ongoing macro shift from gas to electricity, analysts expect that only to accelerate but with one important addition—a new emphasis on performance.
Waatti says, "The original narrative behind EVs and hybrids was efficiency, and part of the fallout with early efforts was a focus on aerodynamic designs that made for odd vehicle shapes and styling. Today, automakers have evolved those designs into much more palatable forms and are starting to inject excitement into the equation with performance and off-road variants." He says Hyundai's high-performance Ioniq 5 N model (expected late this year) and Ford's Mustang Mach-E Rally (due early next year) are prime examples of the shift.
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull is Newsweek's senior Autos editor. Follow her on X @writeEileen. Jake Lingemen is managing editor of Newsweek's Autos team. Follow him @JakeLingeman.
