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:
The Kia Carens nameplate makes its return to South Africa, this time as a seven‑seater designed with families in mind. It combines Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) styling with Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) practicality, offering space, comfort and efficiency, Kia says.
Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
April 2026 marked a turning point in South Africa’s economic landscape, as global energy markets were jolted by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
