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Posted 20 June 2025
The Kia EV3 has collected two major award wins at the Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards 2025: ‘Best Mainstream Electric Car’ and overall ‘Car of the Year’.
The awards, formerly known as the Autotrader New Car Awards, feature 25 categories. Finalists and overall winners are determined by the real-world opinions of more than 225,000 UK car owners, who completed an online survey sharing exactly what they think of their car. Every vehicle is rated across 16 different criteria, from reliability and performance to appearance and running costs. Owners were also asked about their overall satisfaction with their car and how likely they would be to recommend it to others.
The EV3 impressed UK customers for offering great value and a complete, refined package, with owners naming the model both the EV that represents the best of the best in terms of ‘mainstream’ vehicles, and the best car overall of 2025. The Kia EV3 is priced from £33,005 and offers up to 375 miles on a single charge* on the WLTP ‘combined’ cycle, a range of three competitively equipped trim levels, and space for five occupants.
Erin Baker, Autotrader’s Editorial Director, 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. It’s quirky, futuristic, packed full of brilliant features, and it’s really easy to drive. Plus, I can get the whole family in it with room to spare. We absolutely love it.’ Congratulations Kia on a very well-deserved win.”
Paul Philpott, President & CEO of Kia UK Limited, commented: “The EV3 has received a glowing introduction since launch. Having already won UK and World Car of the Year for 2025, it’s even more encouraging to see real customers voting it their Car of the Year via Auto Trader. This opinion is demonstrated in the EV3’s current UK sales performance, being the best-selling EV in the retail market year to date and a strong contender across other channels. This positive recognition gives us and our dealer partners enhanced momentum as we continue to launch yet more customer centric EVs, such as the EV4 and EV5 coming by year end.”
Kia is no stranger to success at the Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards. Last year, the Kia EV6 was named ‘Best Car for Families’ and ‘Best Car for Dog Owners’, whilst in 2023 the Soul EV collected ‘Best Value Electric Car’, and EV6 was named ‘New Car of the Year’.
