But while it’s true that standards have risen massively over the years, the gap between the best and worst performers remains enormous, making the annual What Car? Car of the Year Awards as important as ever.

Celebrating their 45th anniversary in 2022, the awards took place at a star-studded event at the Grosvenor House hotel in London on Thursday evening. They are the culmination of 12 months of testing, during which we’ve driven hundreds of new or updated models, both on UK roads and at our private test track. Each category features not only a winner but also some alternatives that you might want to consider. Let’s see all the winners:

Slideshow story: please click the right-hand arrow above to continue, or simply scroll down if you’re reading on your mobile – PCP costs listed are per month

Thinking of buying a new small SUV? Then make sure you read our countdown of the top 10 cars in this booming sector – plus, find out which ones we'd avoid

When we first tested the Cupra Born we were so impressed that we named it Small Electric Car of the Year. But does it continue to impress when you live with it every day?

The new Toyota Aygo X blurs the lines between city car and small SUV. Let’s find out if that’s the way ahead or a bridge too far

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