Kia EV3 Secures Second Place in European Car of the Year Awards

The Kia EV3 achieved an impressive second place in the European Car of the Year (COTY) 2025 competition. Out of an initial pool of 48 new cars, seven finalists were selected, with the ultimate victory going to another electric vehicle, the Renault 5.

In recent years, the European Car of the Year competition has brought considerable success to Kia. In 2022, Kia clinched the title for the first time in its history with the debut model, the EV6.

The results, announced at the Brussels Motor Show in Belgium, were determined by a panel of 60 automotive journalists from across Europe. Jury members from 23 countries awarded the EV3 a total of 291 points, while the winning Renault 5 secured 353 points. The Citroën ëC3 took third place with 215 points. Fourth place went to the Hyundai Inster, an unexpected contender, with 172 points, followed closely by the Dacia Duster with 168 points. Cupra Terramar claimed sixth place with 165 points, while the Alfa Romeo Junior rounded off the finalists with 136 points.

Following the announcement of the seven finalists in November last year, the jury had eight weeks to rigorously test the vehicles.

With an impressive range of up to 605 km and an innovative interior design based on Kia’s "Opposites United" philosophy, the EV3 stands out as one of the most efficient electric vehicles on the market today.

Additionally, the Kia EV3 was crowned the winner in the compact SUV category at the 2025 Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) awards.