Kia, Volvo, Porsche, VW Nab World Car Award Wins
The annual World Car Awards were announced at the 2025 New York International Auto Show, and Kia added more hardware to its trophy case with its win of the prestigious 2025 World Car of the Year award for its EV3, a compact all-electric SUV.
U.S. shoppers interested in the small but surprisingly roomy electric vehicle will have to wait to experience it, as there’s no official on-sale date nor pricing information available as of yet.
Related: More 2025 New York Auto Show Coverage
What Other Vehicles Won World Car of the Year Awards?
The rest of the award winners can be grouped into two categories: those available in the U.S. and those that are not. For those cars that are available in the states, the Volvo EX90, a three-row electric SUV with a starting price of $81,290 (including destination), won the 2025 World Luxury Car award. Porsche took home the 2025 World Performance Car award for its 911 Carrera GTS, and with its striking looks, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz pulled in the 2025 Design of the Year award.
Among the vehicles not available in the U.S., the compact Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric won the 2025 World Electric Vehicle award, helping the South Korean automaker log another World Car win for the fourth consecutive year.
Chinese automaker BYD’s Seagull/Dolphin Mini EV won World Urban Car. BYD is one of the world’s largest automakers; its lineup consists of EVs and plug-in hybrids, but the vehicles aren’t available for sale in the U.S. This is the first time a Chinese automaker has won a World Car award. Additionally, the company’s Executive Vice President Stella Li was named 2025 World Car Person of the Year.
Comprised of more than 100 automotive journalists from 30 countries, the World Car Awards recognize automotive excellence and innovation on a global scale. Jurors test-drive new and fully redesigned cars that are sold in at least two continents to arrive at the awards.
In 2024, EVs swept the awards, with the 2024 Kia EV9 winning the prestigious 2024 World Car of the Year and 2024 World Electric Vehicle. The 2024 BMW 5 Series and i5 won 2024 World Luxury Car; the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N was named 2024 World Performance Car; the 2024 Volvo EX30 grabbed 2024 World Urban Car; and the Toyota Prius was named 2024 World Car Design of the Year.
More From Cars.com:
- 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Vs. 2024 Kia EV9: Which Is the Better Family EV?
- 2025 Volvo EX90 Review: Extended Elegance, Missing Features
- Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
- Kia Reveals More U.S. Specs for 2026 EV4 Electric Sedan
- Find Your Next Car
Related Video:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
