THE Volvo XC40 compact SUV has won one of Britain's top motoring honours, being voted the What Car? Car of the Year 2018 just four months after it went on sale.

The D4 diesel version of the XC40 beat all the other category winners to take Volvo's first ever overall win in the prestigious awards.

As well as securing Car of the Year title, the XC40 was named Family SUV of the Year - a new category for 2018.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: "The SUV segment is incredibly competitive, so it's testament to the brilliance of the XC40 that it stands out. With its mix of comfort and quality, safety and style, it excels in all the areas that are important to buyers.

"Of course, we were very aware that some people would still consider the XC40 a controversial choice due to the fact the best engine in the range is a diesel. However, our independent True MPG tests prove that this latest engine emits less NOx than plenty of petrols, while offering the low CO2 that made diesels so popular in the first place.

"Our judging panel refused to be swayed by the anti-diesel hysteria coming from politicians and some of the mainstream press and instead made their decision based purely on the merits of the cars. Our belief is that for many car buyers diesel remains the right economic and environmental choice - and for those that it doesn't suit, a petrol or electrified alternative is available.

"The fact is the Volvo XC40 is a stunning achievement and proves to car buyers everywhere that diesels are definitely not dead."

Volvo is the 19th car manufacturer to win an overall What Car? Car of the Year Award since the prize was fist awarded 40 years ago in 1978.

Jon Wakefield, managing director of Volvo Car UK, said: "Winning the overall Car of the Year Award is fantastic - not just for everyone here in the UK, but for Volvo as a global company. The XC40 perfectly showcases the bold new direction Volvo is taking, and brings our class-leading connectivity, semi-autonomous drive technology and innovative storage solutions to the premium family SUV market.

"We are immensely proud of the XC40, and for the experts at What Car? to award it their ultimate accolade is the perfect start to what will be a hugely significant year for Volvo."

The XC40 wasn't the only SUV launched in 2017 to make a big impression on the What Car? judges in the 40th anniversary awards.

Seat's latest offering, the Arona, took the Small SUV of the Year prize, while the Peugeot 5008 was named Large SUV of the Year.

Audi also had a successful night, scooping three awards: Executive Car of the Year with the A4, Coupe of the Year with the TT and Luxury SUV of the Year with the Q7

What Car? readers took the opportunity to voice their thoughts on the year ahead, voting Jaguar's first electric car, the I-PACE , the most exciting new car due to be launched in 2018.

A new True MPG Award was introduced this year and given to the Suzuki Ignis - the most efficient car the title has ever tested, with an average of 59.6mpg in real-world driving conditions.

Volvo took another trophy home, after its XC60 won the Safety Award, while Tesla was handed the Technology Award for blazing a trail in the automotive industry with its forward-thinking, innovative mind-set.

The full list of winners in this year's awards is:

CITY CAR

Less than £9,500 - Suzuki Celerio 1.0 SZ2

£9,500 - £11,000 - Skoda Citigo 1.0 60 SE 5dr

More than £11,000 - Kia Picanto 1.25 ‘3'

WINNER - Kia Picanto 1.25 ‘3'

SMALL CAR

Less than £12,000 - Dacia Sandero 0.9 TCe Ambiance

£12,000 - £20,000 - Seat Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 FR

More than £20,000 - Mini 5-Door Hatchback 1.5T Cooper Chili Media XL

WINNER - SEAT Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 FR

FAMILY CAR

Less than £18,000 - Seat Leon 1.2 TSI SE Dynamic Technology

£18,000-£22,000 - Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI 150 SE L

More than £22,000 - Audi A3 Sportback 1.5 TFSI 150 Sport

WINNER - Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI 150 SE L

SMALL SUV

Less than £16,000 - Suzuki Vitara 1.6 SZ4

£16,000 - £20,000 - Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 95 SE Technology

More than £20,000 - Audi Q2 1.4 TFSI 150

WINNER - Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 95 SE Technology

FAMILY SUV

Less than £20,000 - Seat Ateca 1.0 TSI Ecomotive 115 S

£20,000 - £30,000 - Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI 150 SE L

More than £30,000 - Volvo XC40 D4 R Design

WINNER - Volvo XC40 D4 R Design

LARGE SUV

Less than £27,000 - Peugeot 5008 1.2 Puretech 130 Allure

£27,000-£35,000 - Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv-D 2WD Sport Nav

More than £35,000 - Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro Sport

WINNER - Peugeot 5008 1.2 Puretech 130 Allure

LUXURY SUV

Less than £60,000 - Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 272 quattro S Line

£60,000-£100,000 - Land Rover Discovery Td6 HSE Luxury

More than £100,000 - Bentley Bentayga V8 diesel

WINNER - Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro 272 S Line

MPV

Less than £20,000 - Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 1.4 140 Turbo Design

£20,000 - £27,000 - Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI 115 SE

More than £27,000 - Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDCi 150 Zetec

WINNER - Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI 115 SE

ESTATE CAR

Less than £18,000 - Skoda Fabia Estate 1.0 TSI 95 SE

£18,000 - £25,000 - Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology

More than £25,000 - BMW 5 Series Touring 520d SE

WINNER - Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology

HOT HATCH

Less than £20,000 - Ford Fiesta 1.0T Ecoboost 140 St-line 3dr

£20,000 - £30,000 - Hyundai i30N

More than £30,000 - Honda Civic Type R GT

WINNER - Honda Civic Type R GT

CONVERTIBLE

Less than £25,000 - Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav

£25,000 - £35,000 - Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.5 TFSI Sport

More than £35,000 - Audi A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TDI 190 Sport

WINNER - Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav

COUPE

Less than £30,000 - Audi TT 1.8 TFSI Sport

£30,000 - £50,000 - Audi A5 Coupé 3.0 TDI quattro Sport

More than £50,000 - Aston Martin DB11 V8

WINNER - Audi TT 1.8 TFSI Sport

SPORTS AND PERFORMANCE CAR

Less than £50,000 - Porsche Cayman 2.0 litre

£50,000 - £100,000 - Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

More than £100,000 - McLaren 540C

WINNER - Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

ELECTRIC CAR

Less than £20,000 - Renault Zoe Q90 Z.E. 40 Dynamique Nav

£20,000 - £40,000 - Nissan Leaf N-Connecta

More than £40,000 - Tesla Model S 75D

WINNER - Nissan Leaf N-Connecta

HYBRID

Less than £25,000 - Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Premium

£25,000 - £35,000 - Volkswagen Passat GTE Advance

More than £35,000 - Audi Q7 E-tron

WINNER - Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Premium

EXECUTIVE CAR

Less than £25,000 - Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology

£25,000 - £35,000 - Audi A4 2.0 TDI 190 Ultra Sport S Tronic

More than £35,000 - Kia Stinger GT-S

WINNER - Audi A4 2.0 TDI 190 Ultra Sport S Tronic

LUXURY CAR

Less than £50,000 - BMW 5 Series 520d SE

£50,000 - £100,000 - Audi A8 50 TDI Long Wheelbase

More than £100,000 - Rolls-Royce Ghost EWB

WINNER - BMW 5 Series 520d SE

TRUE MPG AWARD

WINNER: Suzuki Ignis

COMMENDED: Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv-D 2WD

COMMENDED: Toyota Yaris Hybrid

READER AWARD

WINNER: Jaguar I-PACE

COMMENDED: Citroen C5 Aircross

COMMENDED: Audi E-Tron

SAFETY AWARD

WINNER: Volvo XC60

COMMENDED: Subaru XV

COMMENDED: Volkswagen T-Roc

TECHNOLOGY AWARD

WINNER: Tesla

COMMENDED: Mercedes-Benz S500

COMMENDED: Nissan Leaf two-way charging

CAR OF THE YEAR

Volvo XC40 D4 R Design