Renault is celebrating a trio of award wins at the Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards 2025, after the Renault 5 E-Tech electric claimed the coveted “Editor’s Choice” award, the Scenic E-Tech electric was crowned the UK’s “Best Car for Long Distances”, and the Renault Group was recognised with the “Sustainability Initiative Award”.

Outlining her reasons for Renault’s hat-trick of wins, as well as for selecting the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, which is priced from only £22,995 OTR and offers a range of up 252 miles, Erin Baker, Autotrader’s Editorial Director, said: “Winning just one award category is impressive, and scoring a hat-trick is a huge achievement, but for Renault, it truly is thoroughly deserved.

“The brand has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and its current line-up is really exciting, none more so than the Renault 5 E-Tech electric. As soon as it was announced, everyone that remembered the original hoped it would be just as thrilling. And Renault has nailed it. It’s impossible to drive the Renault 5 E-Tech electric without a huge smile on your face, so for me, there really was only one winner of the Editor’s Choice Award this year.

There was also success for the Renault Scenic E-Tech electric, which starts from £37,195 OTR. Last year, it collected the prestigious Erin Baker Award, drawing praise for its impressive driving range of up to 381 miles, as well as its family-friendly interior and useful technology. This year, Scenic E-Tech electric was voted the UK’s “Best Car for Long Distances”, and by the people that matter most – car owners.

Over 225,000 owners completed an online survey as they shared their opinions on the cars they have bought and lived with. Their thoughts on a broad range of factors were then collated to determine the winners of 20 of this year’s 25 award categories.

Completing the hat-trick, there was recognition of Renault’s focus on sustainability, epitomised by the Emblème concept that incorporates eco-design principles, recycled and recyclable materials, and innovative technologies to achieve unprecedented levels of decarbonisation while maintaining comfort, style, and versatility.

Baker explained: “Renault is equally deserving of the Sustainability Initiative this year; it has clearly signalled its sustainability intentions with the Emblème, a unique concept that will emit just 5 tonnes of CO₂ in its lifetime. Our independent judges from The Carbon Literacy Project said that it represented a clear understanding of what’s required from the industry to achieve the necessary decarbonisation: ‘It sets a precedent for the industry and a clear pathway for the future.’ Bravo Renault.”

Adam Wood, Managing Director, Renault UK, said: “Renault is leading the way in developing emotive, innovative electric vehicles, and these awards show that we are delivering on that promise. Scenic and R5 have brought something new and refreshing to the electric vehicle market with head and heart appeal, and Emblème rises the bar further when it comes to sustainable motoring.”

The Kia EV3 has collected two major award wins at the Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards 2025: ‘Best Mainstream Electric Car’ and overall ‘Car of the Year’.

The awards, formerly known as the Autotrader New Car Awards, feature 25 categories. Finalists and overall winners are determined by the real-world opinions of more than 225,000 UK car owners, who completed an online survey sharing exactly what they think of their car. Every vehicle is rated across 16 different criteria, from reliability and performance to appearance and running costs. Owners were also asked about their overall satisfaction with their car and how likely they would be to recommend it to others.

The EV3 impressed UK customers for offering great value and a complete, refined package, with owners naming the model both the EV that represents the best of the best in terms of ‘mainstream’ vehicles, and the best car overall of 2025. The Kia EV3 is priced from £33,005 and offers up to 375 miles on a single charge* on the WLTP ‘combined’ cycle, a range of three competitively equipped trim levels, and space for five occupants.

Erin Baker, Autotrader’s Editorial Director, said: “It may be Kia’s most affordable current EV on sale, but the EV3 still manages to pack a premium punch. It scored top marks for the quality of its features which, combined with eye-catching looks and a great driving experience, has made the EV3 a massive hit with its owners. One told us: ‘This was my first ever electric car, and it really stood out among all the other EVs, particularly within my price bracket. It’s quirky, futuristic, packed full of brilliant features, and it’s really easy to drive. Plus, I can get the whole family in it with room to spare. We absolutely love it.’ Congratulations Kia on a very well-deserved win.”

Paul Philpott, President & CEO of Kia UK Limited, commented: “The EV3 has received a glowing introduction since launch. Having already won UK and World Car of the Year for 2025, it’s even more encouraging to see real customers voting it their Car of the Year via Auto Trader. This opinion is demonstrated in the EV3’s current UK sales performance, being the best-selling EV in the retail market year to date and a strong contender across other channels. This positive recognition gives us and our dealer partners enhanced momentum as we continue to launch yet more customer centric EVs, such as the EV4 and EV5 coming by year end.”

Kia is no stranger to success at the Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards. Last year, the Kia EV6 was named ‘Best Car for Families’ and ‘Best Car for Dog Owners’, whilst in 2023 the Soul EV collected ‘Best Value Electric Car’, and EV6 was named ‘New Car of the Year’.

The EV3 is soon to be joined by the EV4 and EV5. Both models will embark on a nationwide tour of ‘Kia Electric Experience’ events across the Kia UK dealer network, starting 8 July, and showcasing the latest of Kia’s electric offerings to customers.