• Auto123 presents its 2023 awards in 22 categories.
• For the Best Green Vehicle Eligible for Gov’t Incentives in 2023, here are our finalists and winner!
• In the running are the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
• All three finalists are recommended purchases by the Auto123 team.
Every year, you our readers are kind enough to await with interest Auto123's verdicts in declaring the winners across various vehicle categories. This year, the battles were once again ferocious, with many of the votes very close. There were arguments and maybe a couple of tears.
Nevertheless, at the end of the day, 22 vehicles were declared winners in their category. If you want to know what are recommended buys in the green vehicle segment, consisting of EVs eligible for federal and provincial incentives (where applicable), here’s what happened this year in this category.
When it comes to electric models, every year presents us with a dilemma: Is it time to create more categories for this type of model? Or is it time to integrate them into segments that also include gasoline-powered models?
The debate rages on. For 2023, we decided to maintain the formula used in recent years, that is, to separate vehicles into two groups, those that qualify for both federal and provincial government incentives (where applicable) and those that do not, or only qualify for a provincial one.
We know it won’t be long before all vehicles are considered together, and that those vehicles are all electric. The incentives, too, will have gone by the wayside. We're taking it one year at a time.
In this “more affordable” category, there was a generous choice of EVs still eligible for two government incentives. The vote was close, no surprise. Our finalists: the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
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In the case of the Mach-E, we know it’s one of the most fun-to-drive EVs in the segment. Its styling is eye-catching and the product line is varied, offering different proportions of range, power and performance, depending on preference. Reliability, however, has been hit and miss. Some owners have reported no problems, others have had a range of issues. Ford has work to do to fix the boo-boos and it knows it.
With the Ioniq 5, you get an SUV with a unique and distinct style, as reflected in the many design awards it has won. Behind the wheel, it offers a reassuring experience and a commendable range. Its interior is very spacious and welcoming, something that appeals to buyers.
Finally, the Kia EV6 offers essentially the same technology offered by Hyundai, but in a fundamentally different package. Here, the styling is sportier, as is the driving experience. This is even more true with the GT variant, which offers up to 576 hp.
At the end of the day, it was a balance of qualities that spoke loudest. That's why the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the winning vehicle in our class for 2023.