In association with MotorEasy
Car of the Year Awards 2025: Readers' Choice
What Car? readers were given a 12-car shortlist, and asked to vote for the upcoming model that they're most excited about seeing in showrooms...
Kia EV4
It was neck and neck for first and second places in this year’s Readers’ Choice award in the early days of voting, but in the end Kia’s upcoming rival to the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 garnered more than twice as many votes as the next most popular model. There’s plenty to be excited about, too, because the Kia EV4 is based on the same underpinnings as the smaller EV3 – a car that has earned our maximum five-star rating.
The EV4 is expected to borrow its batteries and motors from the Kia EV3, meaning the entry-level model will come with a 55kWh (usable capacity) battery offering around 220 miles of range, while a larger, 78kWh battery will boost that figure to around 350 miles. And while most versions will be powered by a single electric motor driving the front wheels, a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive version is in development.
That model is likely to be dubbed the EV4 GT and could pump out around 300bhp. The EV4 you’ll be able to buy is expected to keep the minimalist interior of this concept version, with a single digital display stretching over half the width of the dashboard and providing both instrumentation and infotainment. As in the EV3, physical controls will be retained for climate and media functions, meaning the EV4 should be easier to operate while driving than the touchscreen-heavy Model 3. The materials used inside the EV4 will mostly be tactile fabrics, as in the concept.
Prices are expected to start at around £35,000, meaning the EV4 will undercut both the Polestar 2 and Model 3. And like Kia’s other models, the EV4 will benefit from the brand’s generous seven-year warranty.
2nd Renault 4
Last year, the reinvented Renault 5 (R5) scooped the win in our Readers’ Choice award. This year, its more practical Renault 4 (R4) sibling came close to matching that feat, in the end taking second place.
Like the smaller R5, the R4 carries clear nods to its forebear in its boxy styling, with distinctive rear windows and an optional canvas roof. The technology is bang up to date, though, with a choice of 40kWh or 52kWh batteries and a range of up to 249 miles.
The R4 is expected to be competitively priced against rivals such as the Jeep Avenger and Volvo EX30, costing from around £28,000.
3rd Jaguar GT EV
Whether you're excited by the reinvention of Jaguar as a maker of premium electric cars, or horrified by ‘that’ advert, the brand is certainly attracting a lot of attention, and the GT EV will be the first model to come from its reinvention.
Previewed by the two-door Jaguar Type 00 Concept (pictured), the GT EV will actually be a four-door Porsche Taycan rival that pumps out 575bhp, with two electric motors sending that power to all four wheels. As a result, the GT EV is likely to be quicker than the Taycan 4S.
As for range, Jaguar is targeting 430 miles between charges. And the price? That’ll be around £120,000.
How the winner was chosen
We asked readers to vote for the car they’re most excited about seeing in 2025, from a shortlist of 12 contenders. Each was promoted via our social media channels and newsletters, with readers voting through a dedicated website. Thousands of readers had their say – and these are the top three.
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