UK Car of the Year 2025 winners revealed

The seven category winners of the UK Car of the Year 2025 awards have been announced – with all of them now in the running for the overall prize.

The prestigious UKCOTY jury is made up of 30 expert judges, including HonestJohn.co.uk editor David Ross. Their task is to select the top cars they have driven over the past year.

There are seven categories, ranging from small and family cars, three sizes of crossover, executive and performance.

Each is a winner in their own right. All now go into an extra round of judging to decide the overall UK Car of the Year 2025.

So which are the seven UKCOTY 2025 category winners?

Category	Winner
Small car	Suzuki Swift
Family car	Skoda Superb
Small crossover	Kia EV3
Medium crossover	MINI Countryman
Large crossover	Hyundai Santa Fe
Executive car	Polestar 4
Performance car	Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

 

Small car - Suzuki Swift

The Suzuki Swift is the most affordable new car in the list of winners. It has scooped the Small Car prize partly because of its price, but also because of its all-round ability.

With its fuel-sipping mild hybrid engine, the new Suzuki Swift shows the clever engineering that’s still going into traditional petrol-powered cars.

Family car - Skoda Superb

The Skoda Superb is another good example of traditional car excellence, winning the Family Car prize for 2025.

Long-range plug-in hybrid options help future-proof the new Skoda Superb, while low-emission petrol and diesel engines prove there’s still life in the internal combustion engine.

Small crossover - Kia EV3

Crossover SUVs are all the rage in the UK today, which is why there are three categories dedicated to them. The Kia EV3 has been named the Small Crossover category winner.

With its bold styling, modern interior, flexible space and long range, the new Kia EV3 is a compelling all-rounder whose appeal is further underlined by competitive pricing.

Medium crossover - MINI Countryman

It is a sign of how the latest MINI Countryman has grown that it scoops the prize for next-size-up Medium Crossovers.

Its enlarged size is intentional, to create space for the new MINI Aceman, and the extra dimensions help make the new MINI Countryman better than ever – as does the ‘dual-fuel’ strategy of offering petrol and electric versions.

Large crossover - Hyundai Santa Fe

The Hyundai Santa Fe is one of the most forward-looking cars on the road and its reinvention has won it the Large Crossover 2025 prize.

No other new car looks quite like the new Hyundai Santa Fe seven-seater, and the interior is more like a living room on wheels. Journalists even camped in it during its UK launch.  

Executive car - Polestar 4

In the swish Executive category, electric cars are starting to dominate. This year’s victor, the Polestar 4, is one of the most intriguing.

The new Polestar 4 famously doesn’t have a rear window, giving it distinctive looks and a roomy new environment for rear seat passengers. It also has the enthusiast-pleasing engagement and long range already present in the acclaimed Polestar 2.

Performance car - Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

The Performance sector is always one of the most exciting – and from the influx of thrill-seeking new models for 2025, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has emerged victorious.

The world’s first electric hot hatch, the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 is genuinely exciting to drive, using its EV architecture to enhance the experience, rather than detracting from it. It’s a compelling electric alternative to a Volkswagen Golf R.

From this list of seven winners, the judges now have a week to vote on their overall favourite, which will be announced as UK Car of the Year 2025 in March.

The winning model will follow on from the 2024 UKCOTY winner, the Kia EV9.

Which car is your money on to succeed the Kia EV9 and be named UK Car of the Year 2025?