Time to crown Region's Car of the Year for 2023

“What’s your favourite car?”

I hate that question. It’s like asking someone what their favourite meal is. Garlic prawns might be brilliant, but not if I’ll be talking to someone I sort of like within the next 24 hours. Lasagne is a safe option, but not after you and your wife had a baby and every friend and family member has thought long and hard about what meal to bring you and all somehow reached that exact same conclusion.

But answer it we must. Here goes…

I started the year with a big smile on my face, in the Toyota GR 86. It’s not particularly fast, but it sure is jolly fun. And I get the first thing any buyer will do is swap it out for canon, but I still want more theatrics from the standard exhaust.

Next up was the Volvo C40, which is the same as the electric XC40 but with a swoopy roofline that cuts rear visibility and also costs more.

The Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo is certainly colourful, but basic for the near-$40K price tag. And like the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake, it also suffers from a dim-witted dual-clutch gearbox.

The Nissan X-Trail has lost its middle-aged spread for 2023, got a hair transplant and just generally become quite slick. They’ve rethought the hybrid system too, now with an engine employed to do nothing more than charge the battery. Which explains the weird flares of revs at times.

The Lexus RX rides like it were mounted to a cloud, but also beeps at you for absolutely everything, so that ruins the experience slightly. The same applies for the Hyundai IONIQ 6.

The Subaru Crosstrek revives the fun toyish looks of Subarus of old, so it’s a pity the engine runs like it’s from a truck. Conversely, the Hyundai Tucson N-Line proves diesel can actually work in a car designed to be a bit athletic, provided you ignore the dull steering.

Every fibre of your being lusts after the Mercedes-AMG SL 63, even if you’re not sure what it’s supposed to be. Is it an aggressive track car or a relaxed cruiser? It feels confused. Not that you really care when the top is down and the twin-turbo V8 is growling.

The Mazda 2 is an unexpected gem (once you override the automatic gearbox), but it’s also getting a bit long in the tooth. The brand’s first attempt at an upmarket product, the CX-60, is also their first attempt at a plug-in hybrid and … well, it’s like any first attempt.

The BYD Dolphin is the cheapest EV in Australia at $38,890, and has the option for a Barbie pink interior, but it feels a bit blunt to drive. Also Chinese, the GWM Ora felt more natural to drive, and for only $2000 more. Just don’t Google the name.

The award could go to the Lexus RZ, the brand’s first electric-only model that does away with the niggling ‘posh-Toyota’ feeling inside a lot of other Lexi. The Maserati Grecale delivers on both the posh and special fronts. And the Honda ZR-V is basically a Maserati for a lot less.

The Citroen C5 X is a refreshingly comfortable deviation from a trend among car makers to remove suspension in the name of sportiness, and we know this because we sent it over speed humps with a basket of eggs on the passenger seat to see what would happen. One broke, but that was afterwards, and due to user error.

The Ineos Grenadier was literally dreamt up in a pub, and is therefore predictably brilliant. It’s heralded as a return to the rough and tumble off-roader, but also costs more than $100,000. You might float away in a mild puddle, but the Suzuki Jimny is there for $31,990.

The Peugeot 308 is very tempting, and not just because the front seats had a massage function. It also has the best looks of any French car since … well, ever, and while the engine is about the same size as the one in your wristwatch, it’s eager. And has a raspy roar.

But there’s one that has risen to the surface of the year’s car reviews as not only “most improved” but also just genuinely good. And that’s before we get to the latest X-Power model … 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds anyone?

Yep, Region‘s Car of the Year for 2023 is the MG4.