The Kia EV3 was announced the 2025 World Car of the Year at the 2025 New York Auto Show. Kia has now won back-to-back WCOTY titles, with the EV9 winning the award last year. This also happens to be Kia's third WCOTY title overall, with the Telluride winning in 2020. The EV3 brings the cutting-edge innovation of Kia's flagship EV9 to a wider audience than ever before, setting new standards in the compact electric vehicle (EV) SUV segment. The EV3 boasts a bold, progressive exterior and an innovative, practical interior that maximises space, functionality, and comfort. The EV3 has a segment-leading range of up to 600 km and can charge from 10-to-80 per cent in 31 minutes, with a fast-charger. The vehicle's innovative interior design optimises space, comfort, and accessibility, while Kia's AI Assistant, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates enhance the ownership experience with cutting-edge technology.
Kia EV3
Vehicles eligible for 'World Car of the Year' title must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units/year, must be priced below the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be "on-sale" in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2024 and March 30, 2025.
2025 World Performance Car of the Year - Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
Angus Fitton, Vice-President of PR at PCNA receiving the award from Steve Fowler of World Car Awards
The World Performance Car of the Year award was won by the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. The top three finalists in the category were the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and the BMW M5. Porsche has won the World Performance Car title a total of eight times. Porsche AG has now won a total of nine awards in the World Car Awards 21-year history.
2025 World Urban Car of the Year - BYD Seagull
Stella Li, Executive VP, BYD, receiving the award from Carlos Sandoval of World Car Awards
The World Urban Car of the Year award was bagged by the BYD Seagull also known as the Dolphin Mini in some markets. The top three finalists in this category were the Hyundai Inster/Casper EV, Mini Cooper Electric and the BYD Seagull/Dolphin Mini. Previously, the BYD Dolphin was a top three in the world finalist last year also, in the World Urban Car category. And the BYD SEAL was a top three in the world finalist in the overall World Car of the Year category.
2025 World Electric Car of the Year - Hyundai Inster/Casper EV
Sangyup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Centre receiving the award from Siddharth Patankar of World Car Awards
The 2025 World Electric Vehicle award recognises Inster's extraordinary value in the EV segment and underscores Hyundai Motor's dedication to advancing EV technology and sustainability. This is the third World Electric Vehicle win for the Hyundai Motor Company. Previously, there were two consecutive back-to-back World Electric Vehicle wins for the Hyundai IONIQ 6 in 2023 and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 in 2022. The Hyundai Motor Company has won a total of eight awards in the World Car Awards' 21-year history.
2025 World Luxury Car of the Year - Volvo EX90
Jim Nichols, Head of Product Planning, Volvo Car USA, with the Volvo EX90
The Volvo EX90 is the World Luxury Car of the Year for 2025. It was chosen from an initial entry list of ten vehicles from all over the world then a short list of three finalists as announced on March 18, 2025. The top three finalists in this category were the Porsche Macan, the Porsche Panamera and the Volvo EX90.
2025 World Car Design of the Year - Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Dr. Kjell Gruner, Vice President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America with the award for World Car Design of the Year
The top three finalists in the category were the Kia EV3, the Toyota Land Cruiser/Land Cruiser 250 and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The Volkswagen Group has now won eight awards to date including five World Car of the Year titles across the World Car Awards' 21-year history.