Dimensions of 50 popular models are compared using ‘maths, science and the golden ratio’

The Kia Picanto has been named Britain’s ‘ugliest’ everyday car on sale today, according to new research that used the ‘Golden Ratio’ to rate the attractiveness of the UK’s most popular models.  

The research used ‘science and mathematics’ to compare the proportions of 50 of the most-bought new cars in Britain to those of the golden ratio, to give each vehicle a score out of 100. 

Kia’s current city car, which first went on sale in 2017, achieved the lowest score of all with a rating of just seven out of 100, making it Britain’s ugliest everyday vehicle in showrooms.

The Audi A3, meanwhile, won the title of Britain’s most beautiful car with a top-ranking score of 83 out of 100. 

It is, however, worth noting that beauty comes at a cost, with the A3 priced from £27,860 in UK dealers compared to just £13,415 for a brand new Kia Picanto. 

Notably, the top and bottom places on the list reflected wider trends in the rankings, with South Korean firm Kia shown to make the most ugly cars, the study from Vanarama showed.

German car maker Audi, on the other hand, was shown to manufacture the most attractive motors, with two of its vehicles in the top five most beautiful cars. 

The golden ratio is a mathematical ratio that is claimed to be found in the natural world, including in sea shells, sunflowers, and space formations. 

The ratio – which is represented by the Greek letter phi – is also widely used in architecture, including in buildings such as the Parthenon in Athens and the Pyramids in Giza. 

The study used the mathematical formula to rate cars on their dimensions and visual proportions and then rank them according to their beauty score. 

The Picanto has been named the least attractive car in UK showrooms today. Kia’s current city car has been on sale since 2017. It’s also one of the cheapest new cars today

The Kia Picanto took last place on the list behind other widely driven cars including the Citroën C1, Kia Sportage, Land Rover Discovery, and Fiat 500. 

Whole Kia’s smallest car might not be the most attractive in scietific calculation, it is one of the kindest to your bank balance.

That’s because it is one of the cheapest new models in showrooms today, undercutting Dacia’s budget-friendly Sandero by £380. 

It’s also super-frugal and cheap to insure, making it a popular choice for new drivers. 

The Audi A3 (pictured) was rated Britain’s most beautiful everyday car

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Audi’s A3 was trailed in top place by the VW Golf, Vauxhall Mokka, Audi A4, and BMW 3 Series, which were ranked the UK’s most beautiful cars. 

More broadly, saloon cars were discovered to be the most beautiful cars, while city cars were ranked the most ugly. 

Estate cars were ranked as the second most ugly type of everyday vehicle, as the study suggested their designers had prioritised practical concerns over aesthetic ones. 

How the ‘Golden Ratio’ is measured

The ‘golden ratio’ is a mathematical formula devised in ancient Greece to determine ‘physical perfection’ by comparing measurements, ratios and symmetry.  

During the Renaissance, artists and Architects used the equation, also known as Phi, as an aid during the creation of their masterpieces.

Scientists have since adapted the mathematical formula, which equates to 1/1.618, to explain what makes a person beautiful.

The length and the width of someone’s face is measured and then the results are divided. 

Measurements are then taken from the forehead hairline to the spot between the eyes, from the spot between the eyes and the bottom of the nose and from the bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin.

A person is considered to be more beautiful if the numbers are equal. Attention is then given to the symmetry and proportion of the face.  

George Clooney and supermodel Bella Hadid score highly using the formula, which Vanarama has now also applied to cars to measure their beauty.