THE Kia EV3 has been named World Car of the Year for 2025 making it two in a row for the Korean car maker after the larger EV9 claimed the title last year.

The EV3 beat two other finalists which were the BMW X3 and the Hyundai Inster.

"It is an immense honour for everyone at Kia that the EV3 has been awarded the 2025 World Car of Year title," said Ho Sung Song, president and CEO at Kia.

"This award highlights Kia's global leadership in providing design-led, technologically advanced, sustainable mobility solutions and how the EV3's class-leading attributes redefine the user experience for customers worldwide."

The 2025 World Car Awards were judged by a panel of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 countries.

The EV3's victory brings Kia's total of wins at the World Car Awards to six since 2020.

A presentation took place at the opening of the New York International Auto Show.

Other awards went to Porsche in the World Performance Car category with the 911Carrera GT S, Volvo with the EX90 in the Luxury Car section and the Urban Car of the Year was the BYD Seagull, which will be known as the Dolphin Surf when it comes to the UK later this year.

The Design award went to the Volkswagen ID.Buzz. The Volkswagen Group has now won eight awards to date including five World Car of the Year titles across the World Car Awards' 21-year history while the Hyundai Inster carried off the honours in the World Electric Vehicle category.