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Jan 22 2026
Kia has won four awards at the prestigious 2026 What Car? Car of the Year Awards with the EV3, Sportage and PV5 Passenger all collecting major accolades. The EV9 was also highly praised within its class, collecting a sub-category win of ‘Best electric seven-seat SUV’, up against a growing number of rivals.
2025 marked a year of unprecedented success for Kia, with the brand selling 113,436 new cars in the UK and achieving a healthy market share of 5.6%, making Kia the fourth best-selling brand in the UK last year. Kia launched nine new models in 2025 too, including the new Sportage and PV5, marking Kia’s first steps into the UK’s competitive commercial vehicle market.
Paul Philpott, President and CEO, Kia UK: “What Car? is one of the most highly-respected and dependable publications for UK motorists, and recognition in their annual Car of the Year Awards is one of the greatest endorsements any brand or vehicle can receive.
“This is now the fourth year in a row the Sportage has been named What Car?’s ‘Family SUV of the Year’, a testament to just how impressive and important it is in the UK, as the best-selling SUV in the country. This time a year ago, we knew the EV3 would be a success, but following this it has become our best-selling EV of the year, and our fastest-selling EV of all time. I am pleased to see both vehicles recognised by the expert team at What Car? for what they offer to UK customers.
“2025 also saw us launch into the electric LCV and MPV markets respectively with the PV5, and to see PV5 Passenger recognised with such a high-profile award so early on in its lifespan is a testament to how successful Kia’s entry into this market has been. With a now established network of dedicated PBV centres in place, along with our passenger car dealer partners, we are confident to continue our momentum through 2026 with a number of further product introductions.”
Kia Sportage: ‘Family SUV of the Year’
For the fourth year in a row, the Kia Sportage has been named What Car?’s ‘Family SUV of the Year’, demonstrating unwavering dominance and a testament to its ability to serve all types of family. Kia’s global, European and UK best-seller underwent a significant mid-life facelift in 2025, introducing a new, more EV-inspired design, multiple new technologies and a simplified three-level specification structure.
The judging panel, made up of the magazine’s team of expert road testers, commented:“Kia has been rolling out new electric cars so rapidly that you’d be forgiven for thinking it might be neglecting its traditional offerings, but the Sportage shows that’s definitely not the case. Refreshed in 2025, it strikes a superb balance between comfort and agility, and features a practical, smartly finished interior. As a bonus, you get all of this for a very tempting price.”
In 2025, the Kia Sportage was once again Kia’s best-seller in the UK. 47,788 new Sportage vehicles were registered last year, making it not only Kia’s best-selling model, but the UK’s favourite SUV and second favourite car overall.
Kia PV5 Passenger: ‘MPV of the Year’
First customer deliveries of the Kia PV5 Passenger commenced at the end of last year, following its unveil at Kia’s EV Day event in February 2025. Already impressing critics and customers alike, the PV5 Passenger has been met to great acclaim, with this award adding to its growing cabinet which already includes ‘2026 International Van of the Year’.
The What Car? judges commented:“If an MPV does nothing else, it must provide huge space for passengers – and the PV5 ticks this box, and then some. However, it’s not just big, but clever too, with loads of handy storage spaces, a user-friendly infotainment system and (if you choose our favourite version) vehicle-to-load charging. Supple suspension and a lofty driving position complete a superb all-round package.”
The Kia PV5 Passenger is offered in two trim levels, with the choice of standard- and long-range battery packs, suiting any customer need. Designed from the ground-up on Kia’s Electric-Global Modular Platform for Service (E-GMP.S), the PV5 Passenger features sensible packaging offering maximised passenger and interior space. In 2026, Kia will unveil a seven-seat version of the PV5 Passenger, joining the five-seater currently on sale.
Kia EV3: ‘Small Electric SUV of the Year’
The Kia EV3, alongside the Sportage, has repeated its category win from last year being named ‘Small Electric SUV of the Year’, emphasising its strength in one of the most competitive segments in the UK market. The model offers space for five in a compact package, with Kia’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) allowing cavernous interior space and a flat floor, further benefiting second-row passengers.
“Since winning this award last year, the Kia EV3 has faced a tranche of talented new rivals, and yet it undoubtedly remains the best car of its kind,” commented the What Car? judges. “For starters, it’s remarkably practical for a relatively compact car, and has the sort of lofty driving position that SUV buyers love. Meanwhile, the suspension soaks up bumps and potholes effortlessly, and even the cheapest version has a good range."
Throughout 2025, its first full year of sales, the EV3 was Kia’s best-selling EV in the UK with 11,188 new EV3s registered, making up almost 10% of the brand’s total sales in the UK. Kia’s fastest-selling EV to date also became one of the country’s top-three best-selling EVs within the retail market.
Kia EV9: ‘Best electric seven-seat SUV’
As with the EV3 and Sportage, the Kia EV9 has also repeated a previous award win, being awarded ‘Best electric seven-seat SUV’. A sub-category of the ‘Seven-seat SUV of the Year’, the EV9 was praised by the judges for its capabilities and value compared to key rivals: “The Kia EV9 is one of the few SUVs that can seat seven adults in comfort and still have enough room left over for their luggage. The RWD version that we recommend also managed a seriously impressive 314 miles on a charge in our real-world tests. And even when you do need to stop and plug in, the EV9 can hoover up electrons far quicker than most of its rivals.”
Kia has enjoyed a lot of historical success at the annual What Car? Car of the Year Awards with the PV5 Passenger, EV3, EV4, EV6, EV9 and Sportage receiving no fewer than 13 awards between them in the past four years, including 2026.
The What Car? Car of the Year Awards
Each year, the What Car? Car of the Year Awards names the best new cars across several vehicle categories. To be eligible for the awards, a car must have been tested back-to-back with its rivals, on UK roads and at a dedicated test facility, by What Car?’s team of road testers.