A quick tally shows that we’ve driven well over 170 new cars between us in the last 12 months. Admittedly, some were different engine variants of the same models, but in the main, these were entirely new cars. New Renault 4One of the sharpest cars we drove this year was another supermini, the Firefly EV, an offshoot of Nio. Kia EV4Which brings us to our best buy for 2026, which goes to a very late arrival: the BMW iX3. But time at the wheel on its international launch showcased how hugely impressive it is in terms of its mix of tech, driving dynamics and power.

Source: The Irish Times December 17, 2025 09:38 UTC