The Kia EV3 has just launched here in NZ, and it has been named as a ‘Top Three’ vehicle in multiple categories in this year’s World Car Awards. The category finalists have been selected by a jury of 96 ‘distinguished’ international automotive journalists from 30 countries, though none are from NZ.
The EV3 was selected as one of the top three vehicles from an initial list of 52 contenders in three separate categories. These included:
- World Car Design of the Year
- World Electric Vehicle
- World Car of the Year (overall victory)

Read more – Kia EV3 first NZ drive report
Kia is no stranger to World Car of the Year success. Last year, the Kia EV9 secured a double win, collecting the 2024 World Car of the Year and 2024 World Electric Vehicle titles.
Prior to the 2024 event, Kia had already claimed three wins at the World Car Awards:
- Kia EV6 GT – 2023 World Performance Car of the Year
- Kia Telluride – 2020 World Car of the Year
- Kia Soul EV – 2020 World Urban Car
Winners in all six categories of the 2025 awards will be announced on Wednesday, April 16th, during a live World Car Awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).