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Small Company Car of the Year 2023: Hyundai Kona

The Hyundai Kona is the 2023 Auto Express Small Company Car of the Year, with the BYD Atto 3 and MG4 commended

Company car choosers have never had better options to tempt them into zero-emissions motoring, saving a tidy packet on Benefit-in-Kind tax while enjoying cutting-edge tech. And there’s no better example of this than the all-new Hyundai Kona, which goes on sale this month, with prices starting from under £40,000 in all-electric trim.

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Hyundai has listened to feedback from reviewers and buyers of the original Kona, and this brand-new model is larger as a result – to the point where it is big enough to fulfil the role of a family car, while still being a perfect urban runabout.

There’s a choice of battery capacities, and even the entry-level trim gets features like dual 12.3-inch infotainment screens, front and rear parking sensors, and dual-zone climate control as standard.

Then there are extras that come with the Hyundai, but not elsewhere. For example, all Kona Electrics get a heat pump, making the range on a charge easier to predict in all conditions. And even the cheapest one has Vehicle-to-Load: a three-pin socket in the rear can run a laptop, and you can charge other vehicles from the Kona’s Type 2 socket.

That sort of tech will no doubt become commonplace in the years to come – but right now they’re elements that make the Kona stand out in a crowded market. So while there are cheaper EVs that qualify for the same two-per cent BiK rating, the monthly premium for this fantastic all-rounder is one we’d gladly pay.

Our choice

Hyundai Kona Electric Advance Comfort Pack (£39,145)

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The tax benefits of pure-electric motoring are so strong that it’s impossible to look past a pure EV; it’s no surprise that our three choices are all zero-emissions. The Kona Electric has everything you need in base Advance trim – but do add the Comfort pack if you want heated seats. That car would cost a higher-rate taxpayer £313 in BiK tax per year – which is astounding value for a cutting-edge EV with all the kit you could reasonably wish for.

Commended

BYD Atto 3

Newcomer BYD’s Atto 3 is a little smaller than the Kona, but it’s still big enough to carry four grown-ups. They’ll be comfy around town, too, thanks to a cosseting suspension set-up. And as is the case with most Chinese brands’ cars, there’s oodles of tech, including a whopping 15.6-inch screen on higher-end versions.

MG4

If you don’t fancy an SUV as your company car, the MG4 offers the same appealing rock-bottom tax bill, but with a more conventional family-hatchback bodystyle. It’s a great car to drive and spacious enough for family use, as well as offering decent real-world range and a solid selection of in-car tech.

You’ll find all the information on our New Car Awards 2023 winners and the reasons why we chose them on these pages. Just follow the links below to read more…

New Car Awards 2023: the winners

Special edition of Auto Express

Auto Express Issue 1,787

For the full New Car Awards experience, make sure you pick up a copy of our special 2023 New Car Awards collectors' edition of the Auto Express magazine, which is available in shops now.

You can buy individual issues of Auto Express or subscribe for even bigger discounts on the print magazine cover price. You can currently subscribe or download individual issues of our digital edition direct to your desktop, phone or tablet as well.

Stay right up to date with the latest from the world of cars in 2023 and beyond, subscribe to our email newsletter and follow us on social media...

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Editor-at-large

John started journalism reporting on motorsport – specifically rallying, which he had followed avidly since he was a boy. After a stint as editor of weekly motorsport bible Autosport, he moved across to testing road cars. He’s now been reviewing cars and writing news stories about them for almost 20 years.

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