The Kia EV3 has been awarded ‘Car of the Year’ at the AutoTrader Drivers’ Choice Awards 2025.

More than 225,000 drivers participated in the vote, with car owners making their choice in an online survey.

Cars were ranked across 16 different categories, including appearance, overall satisfaction, performance, and reliability.

Erin Baker, editorial director at AutoTrader, said: “It may be Kia’s most affordable current EV on sale, but the EV3 still manages to pack a premium punch.

“It scored top marks for the quality of its features which, combined with eye-catching looks and a great driving experience, has made the EV3 a massive hit with its owners.

“One told us: ‘This was my first ever electric car, and it really stood out among all the other EVs, particularly within my price bracket.”

The Kia EV3 also won ‘Best Mainstream Electric Car’.

BYD was awarded ‘Most Loved Brand’, while making the shortlist for six other awards, including ‘Most Loved Car’, for the ATTO 3.

Steve Beattie, sales and marketing director at BYD UK, said: “It is a huge honour for everyone at BYD to be voted the nation’s ‘Most Loved Brand’, and the fact it’s been voted for by real-world car owners makes it even more meaningful.

“BYD’s growth has been rapid and I’m extremely proud of our achievements; it’s amazing to see the hard work of our UK and retailer teams coming to fruition.”

Fellow Chinese brand OMODA also performed well, with the OMODA 5 being awarded ‘Best Value New Car’.

Renault took three awards, with the Scenic E-Tech winning ‘Best Car for Long Distances’, the Renault 5 winning ‘Editor’s Choice’, and the brand as a whole winning the ‘Sustainability Initiative Award’.

Also within the Renault Group, Dacia won ‘Best Value Brand’, for the seventh time since 2018.

The Volkswagen Golf was awarded ‘Best Car for New Drivers’, with consumers highlighting its performance, reliability, and ‘smile factor’.

Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 and Santa Fe won too, being awarded ‘Best Car for City Drivers’ and ‘Best 7-Seater’ respectively.