The Renault 5 E-Tech was awarded European Car of the Year for 2025 thanks to its unique styling (Image: Getty)
A group of top motoring journalists from across Europe have determined the , offering style, practicality, and .
Ever since 1964, the awards has seen a team of motoring experts from countries including Spain, France, Germany, and the UK come together to share the best models that were launched in the past 12 months.
According to the latest awards, which were announced at the Brussels Motor Show, the European Car of the Year for 2025 is the , a that gained 353 votes.
Inspired by the original Renault 5, which was sold from 1972 to 1984, the 5 E-Tech looks distinctly attractive and also offers a of up to 252 miles per charge.
Set to be available to order in the UK from later in January 2025, the Renault 5 E-Tech is priced from £22,995 and features tech including dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging, and a 10.1-inch central touchscreen as standard.
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Currently the smallest EV in the Kia range, the EV3’s long range and roominess was also praised (Image: Getty)
Another model that ranked particularly well in the study was the Kia EV3, currently the South Korean brand’s smallest electric model, which scored 291 votes.
A compact crossover featuring particularly sculpted yet surprisingly sleek styling, the EV3 offers plenty of space for growing families and their luggage – including a 25-litre front boot that is ideal for valuables.
Priced from £32,995, the Kia EV3 is slightly more expensive than rivals like the Skoda Elroq and Hyundai Kona Electric, but it is covered by a competitive seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.
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Available as a hybrid or electric vehicle, the Citroen E-C3 also gained 215 votes (Image: Getty)
Finally, the group of European motoring journalists also highly rated the latest version of the Citroen C3, giving the range of hybrid and fully-electric hatchbacks a total of 215 votes.
The fourth generation of Citroen’s supermini has been on sale in parts of South America and Asia since 2022, but only recently arrived to UK shores, where it gained praise for its low starting price of £17,990 for the hybrid and £21,035 for the EV.
In addition to the competitive prices, the experts stated that the latest C3 offers particularly good ride quality for a small car and entertaining driving style, even if they criticised the lack of a heat pump.
Top seven cars of 2025 (number of votes):
- Renault 5 E-Tech – 353
- Kia EV3 – 291
- Citroen C3 – 215
- Dacia Duster – 172
- Hyundai Inster – 168
- Cupra Terramar – 165
- Alfa Romeo Junior – 136