The best small car in the UK has been announced with a car from a company that has only existed for a few years coming in first ahead of more established rivals11:59, 15 Jul 2026Despite the rise in popularity of the SUV in the past few years, there is still room for small cars for UK motorists.‌With this in mind, car companies are still continuing to sell them and bring out new models, even going so far as to bring out small quadricycles.‌Outside of those, the small car market is still bustling with the likes of Kia, VW, Toyota, and others continuing to put new ones on the market.‌Renowned motoring publication Auto Express has put together a list of what it thinks are the best small cars on sale in the UK.Coming in first, produced by the VW Group, was the Cupra Raval. The car, which won the award for Auto Express’ Supermini of the Year 2026, was praised for being fun on the road, its reasonable price, and having a practical interior.‌It lost marks for having a “slightly disjointed cabin design” with the reviewers admitting they hadn’t tried the cheaper version of the car.They concluded: “This supermini-sized EV is in part a preview of what to expect when Volkswagen’s ID.Polo goes on sale a little further down the line, but the Cupra has its own character and talents - enough to be rated Supermini of the Year at the Auto Express 2026 New Car Awards.”‌Coming in second was Fiat’s Grande Panda. This car was praised for also being well priced, being “playful”, and having what they described as a “fantastic cabin”. However, it lost marks for a lack of refinement at higher speeds.They also thought the powertrain was a little “sluggish” and said the information display lacked functionality.Coming in third behind the Fiat and Cupra was the Kia Picanto. The car, which was the publication’s City Car of the Year for 2025, was also praised for being fun to drive, having an equipment list like that of bigger cars, and for having a lot of space inside.‌It lost marks for its small one litre engine being slow, for having no hybrid option, and for it’s competitor, the Dacia Sandero, being cheaper.I have been lucky enough to drive the car that came in second, the Fiat Grande Panda, at the SMMT Test Day at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.Article continues belowI said at the time: “With the likes of the Citroen Ami (I know that’s a quadricycle but let me have this one), the Picanto, returning Citroen 2CV, potential return of the Ford Fiesta, and continuation of the MINI Cooper Hatch, it feels like small cars are set for a resurgence.“Those cars, both current and future, will have a job keeping up with the Fiat Panda Hybrid for proving that a small practical car with a small engine can be this good.”