The Kia EV3 has been named ‘UK Car of the Year 2025’ after winning the ‘Small Crossover’ category on 20 February, automatically securing a place in the final selection. The UK Car of the Year Awards are independently judged by a panel of 31 automotive, business, and tech journalists from across the country.
This marks the second consecutive year Kia has taken the top prize, following the EV9’s win in 2024. Paul Philpott, president & CEO of 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 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.”
John Challen, co-chairman of the UK Car of the Year Awards, said: “With this car, Kia has successfully grown its EV portfolio, following the success of the EV6 and the UK Car of the Year 2024, the EV9. 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, which emerged victorious from a strong field of finalists. The specification, driving range and distinctive interior and exterior styling are just three EV3 elements that impressed our panel of experts.”
The EV3 has continued to gain recognition since its launch at the end of 2024. It has also been named a finalist for European Car of the Year and a finalist for the 2025 World Car Awards, with the final three nominees due to be announced later in March.
The EV3 is Kia’s newest EV on sale in the UK and represents the next step in the company’s ‘Plan S’ strategy. With a range of up to 375 miles on a single charge, the EV3 offers the longest range of Kia’s electric vehicle line-up, in the most compact package.
