The KIA EV3 is crowned World Car of the Year 2025

The New York Auto Show 2025, which is being held these days from 18 April to the 27th of the same month, has been the chosen venue to present the best vehicles of the year worldwide in different categories, including also the World Car of the Year. These awards have been granted by a jury made up of 96 journalists from around the world involved in the motoring world.

Having been crowned in 2024 with the EV9, KIA has once again achieved the coveted World Car of the Year 2025 award, although this time with a very different vehicle. Beating rivals such as the BMW X3 and the Hyundai Inster, the EV3 urban crossover from the South Korean manufacturer has earned the right to proudly bear this title.

The KIA EV3 seems to have left the members of this prestigious award’s jury with the same good impression it also left us when we had the chance to test it a few weeks ago. That is why this decision does not surprise us at all. With a length of 4.3 metres and ranges going from just over 400 km to around 600 km, few faults can be found with this urban crossover.

Other vehicles awarded in this 2025 edition

This has not, however, been the only prize granted by this international jury. In the World Electric Vehicle category, the winner has been the new Hyundai Inster. This city car, which competed in this category against the same KIA EV3 and the Porsche Macan, has a price below 25 thousand euros in our market and an approximate range of 400 kilometres under the European WLTP homologation cycle, which makes it one of the most interesting models on the market at present.

Likewise, the title of World Luxury Vehicle has on this occasion gone to the Volvo EX90, beating the Porsche Macan and also the Panamera. Meanwhile, in the High-Performance Vehicle 2025 category the chosen one has been the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. As a counterpoint, the BYD Seagull has been named Urban Car of the Year, beating the Hyundai Inster and the Mini electric Cooper.

Finally, the electric ID. Buzz van from Volkswagen has taken the Design of the Year 2025 award, beating the KIA EV3 and the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverKIA EV35 versions · from 37,040 €