Top 10 best cars for exterior styling

Driver Power asked UK new car buyers what they thought about their cars' exterior. Here are the top ten highest rated.

  • Covering: Overall exterior styling, the quality of the paint finish and the materials used
  • Winner: Kia Sorento Mk4
  • Score: 97.20%

Last year’s winner in the exterior category was the Kia XCeed crossover, and in 2022 the Kia Rio Mk4 also slipped into the top 10 at eighth. This year, the Korean brand has surpassed that effort by taking all three places on the podium, with the Sorento Mk4 in the top spot, the XCeed second and the Ceed Mk3 hatch ranking third. The Rio Mk4, meanwhile, drops back to 23rd in the rundown.

Doing well in the exterior category isn’t just about the styling. Owners must also rate the quality of the exterior finish and materials, and the Kia trio performs superbly on both counts. The Sorento – which finishes second overall in this year’s survey – comes in fourth for exterior styling, but first for quality and finish. 

The XCeed takes second overall for styling and 10th for quality and finish, while the Ceed ranks eighth for style and seventh for quality and finish. Those category positions here are reversed in the full survey, where the Ceed takes 10th position to the XCeed’s 12th.

Your view

“Kia is getting better and better, and this one is a real stunner. The quality is up there with Land Rover and BMW now.”

Exterior top 10

Model Class Overall Position Overall Score Category Score
1. Kia Sorento Mk4 Mid to Large SUV 2nd 92.44% 97.20%
2. Kia XCeed Small SUV 12th 91.19% 96.65%
3. Kia Ceed Mk3 Compact Family Car 45th 89.21% 93.10%
4. MINI hatch Mk3 Supermini 24th 90.64% 96.04%
5. Mazda CX-5 Mk2 Mid to Large SUV 9th 91.36% 96.00%
6. Lexus RX Mk4 Premium Mid to Large SUV 3rd 92.15% 95.84%
7. Volkswagen T-Cross Small SUV 21st 90.72% 95.73%
8. Audi Q3 Mk2 Premium Small SUV 27th 90.36% 95.58%
9. Citroen C4 Mk3 Compact Family Car 1st 93.39% 95.13%
10. Subaru Outback Mk6 Mid to Large SUV 5th 91.73% 95.11%
Driver Power car ownership

Now tell us about your car in the Driver Power survey...

Current affairs and features editor

Chris covers all aspects of motoring life for Auto Express. Over a long career he has contributed news and car reviews to brands such as Autocar, WhatCar?, PistonHeads, Goodwood and The Motor Trader.

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