New issue of What Car? magazine on sale now

A new issue of What Car? magazine is out now, and it's our Car of the Year Awards special. From SUVs to sports cars, and from hatchbacks to estates, we've named the best cars across 22 different categories, and crowned one as our overall Car of the Year for 2026. And even better, our winner faces a baptism of fire as it goes up against one of its biggest rivals in our group test.

As well as revealing the best cars in each class, we've also chosen several cars which major on different attributes – and we've revealed how much you can expect to pay for all of them, along with all of the facts and figures that matter most. In short, if you're in the market for a new car, it's a must-read issue.

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The new Volkswagen ID Polo leads our first drives section, while other models driven for the first time include:

• Alpine A390
• Chery Tiggo 8
• Kia EV2
• Kia EV5
• Kia PV5
• Kia Seltos
• Mazda CX-6E
• Mercedes-Benz C300DE Estate
• Mercedes-Benz GLB
• Mini Cooper Convertible
• Peugeot 408
• Renault Clio
• Skoda Fabia 130
• Vauxhall Astra

Later in the issue, we reveal which cars have the biggest boots, and answer the question of whether it's time that new drivers chose automatic gearboxes over the more traditional manual. Then, in our used cars pages, the Audi Q2 takes on the Peugeot 2008 to decide which small SUV best deserves your money, plus we've got everything you need to know before buying a used Mini 3dr. Plus there's the latest updates from the What Car? long-term fleet.

Our data section makes it easier than ever to find the facts and figures that really count when you're choosing your next car and, as always, our Real MPG tests reveal the fuel economy you can expect in everyday use.

The new issue of What Car? magazine is in shops now, or you can save money with print and digital subscription deals at The Magazine Shop. In fact, if you subscribe now, you can get it delivered to your door and save up to 56% on the cover price of the next six issues with our special offers.

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