This marks the second consecutive win for Kia and the third accolade for the brand, having clinched the title previously with the EV9 in 2024 and the Telluride in 2020. Overall, the brand has won the accolade no less than six times in the competition’s 21-year history.
The Kia EV3was chosen from an initial list of 52 contenders from all over the world, then further whittled down to a short list of three finalists. The 2025 Top Three in the World finalists are the BMW X3, the Hyundai Inster / Casper Electric, and the Kia EV3.
“It is an immense honour for everyone at Kia that the EV3 has been awarded the 2025 World Car of the Year title. This award highlights Kia’s global leadership in providing design-led, technologically advanced, sustainable mobility solutions and how the EV3’s class-leading attributes redefine the user experience for customers worldwide,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO at Kia.
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.
Other category winners include the Porsche 911 GTS t-hybrid taking the World Performance Car of the Year title, while the World Design of the Year went to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The Volvo EX90 won the World Luxury Car of the Year segment, with the World Urban Car of the Year going to the BYD Dolphin Mini, the latter of which will be introduced in Mzansi in the second half of 2025. The World Electric Car award, meanwhile, went to the Hyundai Inster.
Being a nominee at the World Car Awards is a great honour on its own, so a hearty congratulations goes out to all the nominees in general and the overall winners in particular.
