Kia Celebrates Four Wins at 2026 What Car? Awards
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Kia wins four awards at the 2026 What Car? Car of the Year Awards
Kia has strengthened its award-winning reputation by securing four awards at the 2026 What Car? Car of the Year Awards. The Sportage,
EV3
and PV5 Passenger
each won their respective categories. The Kia EV9
also received recognition with the 'Best electric seven-seat SUV' title.
The results continue Kia's success at one of the UK's best-known automotive awards. During the past four years, Kia has collected 13 What Car? awards, including the wins in 2026.
The awards have been followed by Kia's record-breaking sales performance, achieving a half-year record with more than 65,300 cars and vans registered this year. Kia is the UK's third best-selling automotive brand.
Reinforcing its award win, and continuing its market dominance, the Kia Sportage remains the UK's favourite family SUV and second best-selling car overall.
Kia is proudly one of only a handful of brands with vehicles that qualify for the Government Electric Car Grant, with both the EV3
and PV5 Passenger 5-Seat
benefiting from the £1,500 Band 2 grant.
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Continued recognition from What Car?
The annual What Car? Car of the Year Awards recognise the best new vehicles across a wide range of categories. Every shortlisted model is tested against its rivals on UK roads and at a dedicated proving facility before the winners are selected by the publication's road test team.
This year's awards highlight the breadth of Kia's model range. The Sportage
continues to set the standard for family SUV,
while the EV3
and PV5 Passenger
have made an immediate impact in their respective segments. Together, these awards reinforce Kia's commitment to developing innovative vehicles for customers across the UK.
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Kia Sportage crowned best family SUV for the fourth consecutive year
The Kia Sportage
has retained the title of What Car?’s 'Family SUV of the Year' for a fourth-year running.
Updated during 2025, the Sportage introduced revised exterior styling inspired by Kia's latest electric vehicle
design, alongside new technologies and a simplified model line-up. It remains Kia's best-selling vehicle in the UK and continues to be a popular SUV for families.
More than 47,000 Sportage models were registered in the UK during 2025, making it Kia's best-selling vehicle, the UK's favourite SUV
and the country's second best-selling passenger car overall.
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Kia PV5 Passenger named What Car?'s MPV of the Year
The Kia PV5 Passenger
has been named 'MPV of the Year', adding another major award shortly after customer deliveries began at the end of 2025.
It follows earlier recognition for the wider PV5
programme after the model was named the 2026 International Van of the Year.
The PV5 Passenger has been designed to make the most of its interior space while offering a choice of standard-range and long-range battery packs. A seven-seat version is due to join the current five-seat model during 2026, giving customers another option within the electric van
range.
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Kia EV3 retains Small Electric SUV of the Year title
The Kia EV3
has successfully defended its 'Small Electric SUV of the Year' title despite growing competition across the compact electric SUV
market.
With a compact footprint, the EV3 is well suited to everyday driving, while a dedicated electric platform provides generous interior space for passengers. That combination helped make the EV3 Kia's best-selling electric vehicle
in the UK during its first full year on sale.
In 2025, 11,188 EV3 models were registered in the UK. It also became one of the country's three best-selling electric vehicles in the retail market.
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Kia EV9 recognised among the UK's leading seven-seat electric SUVs
The Kia EV9
has once again been named 'Best electric seven-seat SUV'.
The award recognises the EV9 for its ability to accommodate seven adults comfortably while maintaining generous luggage space. Judges also highlighted its strong real-world driving range and fast charging capability, helping it stand out in an increasingly competitive segment.
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Continued recognition from What Car?
The annual What Car? Car of the Year Awards recognise the best new vehicles across a wide range of categories. Every shortlisted model is tested against its rivals on UK roads and at a dedicated proving facility before the winners are selected by the publication's road test team.
This year's awards highlight the breadth of Kia's model range. The Sportage
continues to set the standard for family SUV,
while the EV3
and PV5 Passenger
have made an immediate impact in their respective segments. Together, these awards reinforce Kia's commitment to developing innovative vehicles for customers across the UK.