The Kia EV3 is the 2025 World Car of the Year. The announcement was made at the World Car Awards ceremony at the 2025 New York International Auto Show on Wednesday night. The Kia EV3 is a full-electric compact crossover measuring 4,300mm in length, 1,850mm wide and 1,560mm high, and first previewed as a concept in October 2023.
It's the fourth model in Kia's line of electric cars and the sixth model from the South Korean brand to win the accolade since 2020. Former winners include:
- Kia EV9 — 2024 World Car of the Year;
- Kia EV9 — 2024 World Electric Vehicle;
- Kia EV6 GT — 2023 World Performance Car;
- Kia Telluride — 2020 World Car of the Year; and
- Kia Soul EV — 2020 World Urban Car.
The chassis of the car, which won numerous awards including the title of 2025 UK Car of the year, is derived from the front-wheel drive Hyundai-Kia K3 platform sold under the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) 400V architecture. It's powered by an electric motor with 150kW and a driving range of up to 600km.
Features include a 12.3-inch driver display, 5.3-inch climate control touchscreen, 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats and steering wheel, parking sensors, forward collision avoidance, highway driving assist and much more.
A world beater
Electric Kia EV3 chosen as 2025 World Car of the Year
The announcement was made at the 2025 New York international motor show
Image: SUPPLIED
The Kia EV3 is the 2025 World Car of the Year. The announcement was made at the World Car Awards ceremony at the 2025 New York International Auto Show on Wednesday night. The Kia EV3 is a full-electric compact crossover measuring 4,300mm in length, 1,850mm wide and 1,560mm high, and first previewed as a concept in October 2023.
It's the fourth model in Kia's line of electric cars and the sixth model from the South Korean brand to win the accolade since 2020. Former winners include:
The chassis of the car, which won numerous awards including the title of 2025 UK Car of the year, is derived from the front-wheel drive Hyundai-Kia K3 platform sold under the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) 400V architecture. It's powered by an electric motor with 150kW and a driving range of up to 600km.
Features include a 12.3-inch driver display, 5.3-inch climate control touchscreen, 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats and steering wheel, parking sensors, forward collision avoidance, highway driving assist and much more.
Image: SUPPLIED
“It is an immense honour for everyone at Kia that the EV3 has been awarded the 2025 World Car of 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.
The 2025 World Car Awards were judged by a panel of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 countries.
Hallmark features that impressed the judges include cutting-edge innovation derived from the flagship Kia EV9, bold styling and functionality. It can also charge from 10 to 80% in 31 minutes and is equipped with AI Assistant, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates.
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