One of four Cat A Hatchback EV zapped its way to being crowned this category’s winner.
How Does ACOTY Define This Class?
First, each contender needs to be a hatchback. Next, they need to be powered and propelled solely by electricity from battery packs. Finally, they need to be sold with a Category A Certificate of Entitlement (Cat A COE). Simple.
Meet The Contenders
One is Korean, one is French, and two are Chinese. Clockwise from the top left, we have the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Citroën e-C4, BYD Dolphin and Ora Good Cat. Zappity zap!
This Hyundai IONIQ 5 is made in Singapore. Yep, you read that right. Looking all sci-fi and ready to time travel, the IONIQ 5 boasts lots of space for passengers and barang-barang alike. Its battery pack offers a respectable range on a single charge and can be charged up rather quickly.
Driving is easy and comfortable, and the IONIQ 5 can put in a surprising turn in corners as well.
The party piece of the Citroën e-C4 is its ride comfort, which is almost on par with that of an air suspension-equipped luxury limousine. There is much French quirkiness about the e-C4, but nothing gets in the way. It is modestly spacious and its battery pack offers decent range. Driving the e-C4 is easy and it looks like little else on the road.
The compact BYD Dolphin looks bright and cheerful and turns heads as one drives by. It offers a tech-focused interior that’s nice, comfortable and modestly spacious. Its battery pack offers good range, thanks to how efficient the Dolphin is. Comfortable on the road and easy to drive, it’s easy to see why this EV hatchback is so easily likeable.
However, for looks that captivate, the Ora Good Cat is the way to go. It doesn’t just turn heads, it snaps them. There is sufficient tech in this EV hatchback but also nods to retro touches here and there.
For its compact size, it offers sufficient space and a comfortable ride. There’s also decent range from its battery pack.
You can see why our task in the judging panel was made more difficult, for each of these four excellent Cat A hatchback EVs brings something special to the table. However, decide we did.
AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat A Hatchback EV
BYD Dolphin
| Vehicle | Points Tally | Price Percentile |
| BYD Dolphin | 360 | 11 |
| Hyundai IONIQ 5 | 349 | 34 |
| Citroën e-C4 | 334 | 21 |
| Ora Good Cat | 303 | 12 |
The winner with 360 points is the BYD Dolphin. We felt that the Dolphin offers the most complete value proposition here, and that the polished tech implementation makes it that much more desirable.
More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.
Congratulations to the BYD Dolphin for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Cat A Hatchback EV!
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