Kia took the top honours for the second consecutive year when its all-electric compact crossover was named World Car of the Year during the New York International Auto Show in the USA this week.
Last year it was the larger Kia EV9, also an all-electric vehicle that drove away with the top accolade and also won the class for best electric vehicle.
The Korean manufacturer’s electric vehicles have dominated the title chase since 2022 as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 took top award in 2023, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 did so in 2022. In 2021, Volkswagen ID.2 – also an electric vehicle – was the winner. In 2020, Kia won the title yet again, but this time with its ICE Kia Telluride.
The competition is not only dominated by electric vehicles, which originate mainly from Korea and China, with Volkswagen, Porsche and Volvo representing European manufacturers also with electric vehicles, except for the Porsche.
The KIA EV3 was chosen from an initial list of 52 contenders from all over the world, then a shortlist of three finalists was announced during March this year. The 2025 Top Three in the World finalists were the BMW X3, the Hyundai Inster / Casper Electric and the Kia EV3, which took the title.
Three prominent South African motoring journalists were also part of the 96-member jury representing 30 countries. They were Brenwin Naidu (Sunday Times), Hannes Oosthuizen (Cars.co.za) and Lerato Matebese (TopGear). The combined global audience reached by the jury members media platforms were 315 million people.
Of this year’s category winners, the Volvo EX90 and the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS are already available in South Arica, with the VW ID. Buzz and the BYD Seagull making their debut in all probability some time this year. The arrival of the Korean EVs is still uncertain but it could just be a matter of time before they land here.
World Car of the Year: Kia EV3:
The World Urban Car is the BYD Seagull / Dolphin Mini:
World Luxury Car: Volvo EX90:
World Electric Vehicle: Hyundai Inster / Casper Electric:
World Performance Car: Porsche 911 Carrera GTS:
World Car Design of the Year: Volkswagen ID. Buzz:
Charging time remains a worry for many South Africans considering an electric vehicle, who still see it as a disruption rather than a quick stop at a filling station. That view is starting to shift.
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