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Kia takes home four wins at the annual What Car? Electric Car Awards 2026
What Car? has announced Kia as a four-time winner in the highly prestigious Electric Car Awards 2026. Kia won across a variety of categories including ‘Best Electric Family Car’, ‘Best Electric Small SUV’, ‘Best Electric MPV’ and ‘Best Used Electric Value Car’.
The What Car? Electric Car Awards recognise the very best electric vehicles on sale today, with winners selected across 19 categories. Each award is decided following careful assessment by What Car?’s expert panel of judges and experienced road testers, who evaluate every contender against the qualities that matter most to buyers.
EV4 ‘Best Electric Family Car’
The EV4 was named ‘Best Electric Family Car’ thanks to its impressive range and strong all-round practicality.
With the longest range of any Kia EV, up to 388 miles on a single charge (WLTP combined cycle); and space for five in comfort, the EV4 supports everyday use and longer family road trips.
The ‘Air’ and ‘Motion’ versions are also eligible for Band 1 of the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant, providing the full £3,750 discount. Inside, the EV4 offers a spacious and comfortable cabin for front and rear passengers, supported by advanced technology and a built-in AI assistant.
EV3 ‘Best Electric Small SUV’
Winning ‘Best Electric Small SUV’ for the second-year running, the EV3 reinforced its strong position in Kia’s growing EV line-up. With a segment-leading range of up to 375 miles (WLTP combined cycle), the EV3 combines everyday efficiency with the flexibility needed for longer journeys.
Its compact SUV proportions make it well suited to city driving, while its comfort and capability also make it suited to country roads and motorway travel.
The EV3 offers the practicality and convenience expected from a main family car, with the advanced technology found across Kia’s wider EV range, including features shared with larger and more premium models such as the EV6 and EV9.
PV5 Passenger ‘Best Electric MPV’
Marking an important step for Kia as the brand continues to forge its path within a new area in the electric vehicle market, the PV5 Passenger was named ‘Best Electric MPV’.
Since launching less than a year ago in the UK, the PV5 has quickly made its mark in the segment with this award recognising its impressive combination of practicality, comfort and technology. Designed to offer the flexibility expected from an MPV, it combines generous interior space with the familiar features found across Kia’s wider EV car range.
The Passenger 7-seat version recently joined the line-up for customers seeking additional passenger capacity, alongside a new ‘Elite’ grade that sits at the top-of-the-range. The PV5 Passenger is additionally available in commercial-focused Cargo variants in various length and height combinations, with even more flexibility offered with the PV5 Chassis.
PV5 will be joined by the larger PV7 in 2027, as Kia accelerates its Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy.
e-Niro ‘Best Used Electric Value Car’
In 2019, the e-Niro was the first EV and first Korean vehicle to be named the overall What Car? ‘Car of the Year’. Seven years later, the e-Niro has been awarded ‘Best Used Electric Value Car’, recognising its ongoing appeal as a practical and efficient second-hand electric vehicle. The e-Niro brought distinctive design to Kia’s electrified line-up, and arguably set the EV industry benchmark with its combination of refinement, power, battery capacity and confidence-inspiring range.
The e-Niro moved into its second generation in 2022, renamed the ‘Niro EV’, and continued at the forefront of Kia’s EV line-up even as the brand welcomed a new generation of EVs The e-Niro and Niro EV combined have accounted for more than 51,000 sales, as Kia celebrated the important milestone of surpassing 100,000 EV sales in the UK in April 2026.
Steve Huntingford, Editor, What Car? commented: “Back in 2019, a Kia became the first EV to be named What Car? Car of the Year. And the brand has built brilliantly on that initial success, as highlighted by its trophy count at our 2026 Electric Car Awards. Whether you’re looking for a practical family hatchback, a comfortable yet compact SUV, a hugely spacious MPV or a used bargain, there’s now an electric Kia that will perfectly suit your needs.”
Kia’s four wins at the What Car? Electric Car Awards 2026 demonstrate the quality and variety of its electrified line-up, from new family-focused EVs to practical MPVs and award-winning used models. The recognition highlights Kia’s growing reputation as a leading brand in electric mobility, offering customers a wide choice of efficient, innovative and accessible electrified vehicles.
