EVs dominate 2025 World Car of the Year awards

Unsurprisingly, electric vehicle winners have dominated the 2025 World Car of the Year Awards.

As previously published the Kia EV3 was the overall winner of the 2025 World Car of the Year.

It is the second consecutive World Car of the Year win for Kia and the third World Car of the Year win overall. The Kia EV9 won last year’s top honour while the Kia Telluride won the title in 2020. Kia has won six awards in the World Car’s 21-year history.

The Hyundai Inster/ Casper Electric is the 2025 World Electric Vehicle.

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. 

Hyundai has won eight awards in the World Car Awards’ 21-year history.

“The Hyundai Inster has been a winner with customers since we introduced it. It’s very gratifying that the experts on the prestigious World Car Awards jury feel the same way. The fact that our global portfolio is successful both commercially and critically speaks to the hard-working people throughout the Hyundai value chain who are delivering some of the best vehicles on the road today,” Hyundai Motor Company president and chief executive José Muñoz says.

The Volvo EX90 is the 2025 World Luxury Car winner.

This is the third World Car Award win for Volvo Cars. The Volvo XC60 was the 2018 World Car of the Year.

“We’re pleased to see the EX90 get the recognition it deserves,” says Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Cars. “It was up against some tough competition, but this award proves that the EX90 appeals to some of the most demanding customers across the world.”

Vehicles eligible for World Luxury Car must be produced in volumes of at least 5,000 units/year, must be priced at the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be on-sale in at least two major markets on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2024, and March 30, 2025.

The BYD Seagull / Dolphin Mini is the 2025 World Urban Car.

Previously, the BYD Dolphin was a top-three finalist last year, also in the World Urban Car category, while the BYD Seal was a top-three finalist in the overall World Car of the Year class.

“We are proud and honoured that the BYD Seagull/ Dolphin Mini has been recognised as the World Urban Car. This achievement reflects our commitment to providing sustainable technologies and exceptional service to customers worldwide,” BYD EVP Stella Li says.

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is the 2025 World Car Design of the Year.

The Volkswagen Group has won eight awards to date, including five World Car of the Year titles, across the World Car Awards’ 21-year history.

“We set out to create an electric vehicle that not only pays homage to the iconic Microbus but also propels us into the future of automotive design,” Volkswagen Group of America president and chief executive Kjell Gruner says.

“The ID. Buzz was always intended to be more than just transportation; it’s our brand’s electric soul, a halo that radiates fresh energy and excitement. The ID. Buzz is reconnecting us with our roots while boldly stepping into the electric era, and this award is recognition of that vision.”

All vehicles eligible for other award categories are automatically eligible for World Car Design of the Year. This year, there were 122 eligible vehicles in five award categories.