The Year’s Hottest Cars Revealed

The global car market is moving like (to mix metaphors) a runaway freight train. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles. Cars with advanced semi-autonomous tech. Practical family haulers. The car industry is advancing further and further each year in the pursuit of your monthly payments..

But there’s just so much choice. Maybe too much. Luckily the Parkers Car Awards 2021 has picked winners from several categories in order to help buyers choose the right car for them.

Below we’ve highlighted our favourite three.

Skoda Enyaq

The big Skoda impressed the experts at Parkers so much they awarded it their coveted New Car of the Year Award and the Best Large Electric car award too.

It’s easy to see why too. The Enyaq is the Czech firm’s first fully bespoke electric car and it’s a complete gamechanger. Now customers can have a large family car that produces zero local emissions, all for a reasonable price, with different battery sizes, numerous trim levels, and all from a manufacturer famed for reliability and ruggedness.

Even better, this car moves things on for Skoda as it feels luxurious inside. Beyond being merely all of these things, as well as handsome of course, the Enyaq is a car without compromise. It wins out and out as a vehicle, and not just because it’s electrically powered.

BMW 4 Series Convertible

Next up is a slightly contentious car. The 4 Series Convertible took home Parkers Best car for Sunseekers award, mostly because of its adaptability.

The engine range in particular is something to be marvelled at. There are low powered and frugal petrol and diesels, a sonorous and smooth six-cylinder petrol, and a full-fat 510bhp supercar slayer in the mix.

No matter which engine you choose, the 4 Series is a seriously sweet drive, with precise and agile steering.

The interior is comfortable and well-made, and easy to use too thanks to BMW’s innovative iDrive. This gives you a touchscreen infotainment system that can also be used with a physical controller. This is much easier and safer to use on the go.

Oh, okay. Let’s get onto the contentious thing shall we? The front end. That large imposing nose isn’t for everyone. Which is why we’ve picked it as a hot car for this year.

Toyota GR Yaris

A list of the hottest cars very rarely features a Toyota. The Japanese company is more famed for making cars your Granny might drive (like the regular Yaris, for instance).

But the GR Yaris took home Parkers Best Car for Thrill-Seekers award this year.

Why? For the money, nothing can touch the GR when it comes to driving pureness and fun. Much, much more expensive performance machinery, like the BMW M3, won’t be able to get away from this tearaway.

Best of all, it’s still a small car. So while serious performance machines will see drivers wince as they go through width restrictors, GR Yaris drivers can confidently pilot through them and straight onto a brilliant B-road. A ten-year warranty definitely helps too.