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The Kia EV3 and Kia Sportage have each won awards in their respective categories in the 2025 What Car? Electric Car Awards.
The Kia EV3 was named ‘Best Electric Small SUV’ in the magazine’s annual Electric Car Awards, while the Sportage won the ‘Best Used Hybrid Family SUV’ award. These accolades follow wins earlier this year at the 2025 What Car? Awards, where the EV3 and Sportage were recognised as ‘Best Small Electric SUV’ and ‘Best Family SUV’, respectively.
Paul Philpott, President & CEO, Kia UK Limited: “It is a great honour to receive yet more recognition for the EV3 and Sportage from What Car?, with the EV3 being celebrated back in January and Sportage for multiple years across a number of categories. What Car?’s great reputation as an independent, influential and respected publication for car buyer’s gives these awards more meaning, and hands our dealers robust proof that our vehicles are industry leading as they support customers on their vehicle purchase journey.”
Kia EV3 – Best Electric Small SUV
The Kia EV3 is the brand’s fastest-selling electric vehicle of all time, becoming the UK’s best-selling EV in the retail market in 2025. It redefines the compact electric SUV segment and is available in three easy-to-understand trim levels: ‘Air’, ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT Line-S’. The ‘Air’ model in particular is offered with a choice of two batteries (58.3kWh or long-range 81.4kWh) and a range of up to 375 miles on a single charge.*
Steve Huntingford, Editor of What Car? magazine: “The EV3 is a relaxing car to drive, because its ride is downright plush, while wind, road and motor noise are kept to a minimum at all times. You sit higher than you do in rivals, too, with this providing the sort of excellent view that many SUV buyers are after. And even the smaller of the two batteries on offer delivers an impressive range, so the EV3 offers excellent value.”
The EV3 is the reigning UK Car of the Year and World Car of the Year in 2025, accolades which Kia has now held for two years consecutively, after the EV9 won both awards in 2024. Currently the brand’s smallest and most affordable EV to date, the EV3 is soon to be joined on UK roads by the EV4 and EV5, with the more compact, even more affordable EV2 due to arrive next year.
Kia Sportage – Best Used Hybrid Family SUV
The Sportage remains Kia’s best-selling model in the UK, Europe, and globally, and is currently the second best-selling car in the UK year-to-date – and the UK’s favourite family SUV. The fifth generation Sportage, unveiled in 2021 and on-sale in the UK since 2022, modernised the SUV and set a template for future Kia models, electric or otherwise. This latest generation also introduced hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains to the Sportage line-up for the first time.
Huntingford added: “Like any Sportage, the PHEV version combines impressive ride comfort with a smart, spacious and user-friendly interior. Plus, you get the added bonus of a 43-mile electric range. The fact that your used Sportage will still be covered by the original manufacturer warranty also makes it very appealing.”
Since being released in January 2022, Kia has sold more than 137,000 units of the fifth generation Sportage in the UK. This makes it the best-selling version in the model’s 30-year UK history. In 2025, the Sportage has undergone a significant mid-life upgrade, with a new exterior and interior design, as well as innovative technologies from Kia’s latest electric models, such as the EV3, EV6 and EV9.
With a rapidly growing full EV and electrified line-up and continued recognition from industry leaders, Kia continues to strengthen its position as a key player in the automotive landscape.