Kia’s all-electric EV3 has won the 2025 UK Car of the Year award, the second year in a row that the Korean firm has won following the EV9’s triumph in 2024.
The EV3 had already won the Small Crossover category and saw off stiff competition from the Polestar 4, Mini Countryman, Suzuki Swift and others (see full shortlist here).
“Securing back-to-back successes in this competition has only been achieved once before, which shows the outstanding attributes and appeal of the Kia EV3,” said John Challen, co-chairman, UK Car of the Year Awards. “Kia has successfully grown its EV portfolio and the specification, driving range and distinctive styling are all EV3 elements that impressed our panel of experts.”
Receiving the winner’s trophy, Paul Philpott, president and CEO, Kia UK, said: “We’re delighted to once again be victorious winning the outright UK Car of the Year Award with EV3. This follows our success in 2024 with the EV9. These consecutive awards clearly demonstrate Kia’s strong leadership in electrification, the genuine demand from UK customers and the quality of our product line up.
“With this outstanding recognition and our increasing order bank, we and our dealer partners are confident EV3 will continue being a popular and accessible choice for the growing number of people switching to electric,” added Philpott.
As the fourth year in succession that an electric vehicle has won the UK Car of the Year trophy, the awards news comes a day after the February new car sales figures were issued by the SMMT, with EV sales up 41.7% compared to 2024 and accounting for one in four new car registrations.