What Car? Car of the Year Award 2025 contenders revealed
Next week we'll name the best new cars on sale in the UK, and crown one the overall What Car? Car of the Year for 2025 – these are the models in contention...
The shortlist of 22 cars in contention for the overall What Car? Car of the Year Award has been revealed.
Among the models under consideration for What Car?'s highest accolade are small cars, executive cars, electric cars and SUVs. The winner will be announced on Thursday 23 January at the annual What Car? Car of the Year Awards ceremony, held in association with MotorEasy.
Alongside the overall Car of the Year, What Car? will name winners in 22 categories, ranging from Small Electric Car to Performance Car, and Family SUV to Luxury car.
The What Car? Awards have been running since 1978, and are the culmination of a 12 months of testing, during which What Car? has driven hundreds of new cars back-to-back with their rivals, both on the road and at its private track.
To qualify for the overall Car of the Year Award, a car has to have been launched within that period, and it needs to be available to order by the time of the ceremony.
In addition to how good a car is to drive and how comfortable it is, the judges considered interior quality and usability, practicality, reliability, safety, value and running costs.
Below you'll find more information on each car shortlisted for the overall What Car? Car of the Year Award. You can click the links to read our in-depth reviews of each model. These contenders are presented in alphabetical order.
What Car? Car of the Year Award 2025 contenders
Alfa Romeo Junior
Alfa Romeo's electric SUV has a name which harks back to the Italian brand's storied past, but it's been built to be future-facing. Indeed, it has an official range of up to 255 miles – more than the entry-level versions of most rivals – while range-topping versions offer 278bhp. The result is an SUV with punchy performance, and one with a solid driving position and good visibility, as well as competitive pricing.
Read our full Alfa Romeo Junior review
Audi A5
The A5 is now Audi's combustion-engined executive car, the old Audi A4 having gone the way of the dodo. Fortunately, it's a good replacement, offering the kind of refined engines and comfortable motorway manners which will have company car drivers asking their fleet managers for one. It's luxurious inside, with a modern, sleek design and materials which feel genuinely upmarket. Our current pick of the engine range is the mid-range TFSI 204, which offers 201bhp and can cover the 0-62mph sprint in 7.8sec.
Read our full Audi A5 review
Audi A6 e-tron
This plush rival for the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE offers a long range of up to 464miles according to official figures, while even entry-level versions can cover 384 miles. There's more to like than just long legs, though, because the Audi A6 e-tron also offers a comfortable ride which does a good job of soaking up lumps and bumps, and a comfortable driving position. There's lots of technology to marvel at inside, and although you'll pay a premium sum to own an A6 e-tron, it's priced competitively next to rivals.
Co-developed alongside the latest Porsche Macan Electric, the Q6 e-tron is Audi's answer to the BMW iX3, Mercedes EQE SUV and Tesla Model Y. With up to 393 miles of official range, the Q6 e-tron majors on comfort, with a ride which soaks up the worst that battered British roads can throw at it. Add in superb refinement and a great driving position, and you won't mind long stints at the wheel. There's lots of space for your family, too, and a boot which is larger than those of rivals. You also get lots of kit as standard, with entry-level Sport models coming with everything you're likely to need.
Read our full Audi Q6 e-tron review
BMW X3
The formula for the BMW X3 SUV has proven to be very successful over the years, so it won't surprise you to lean that BMW hasn't messed with it too much for this latest version. It still blends agile handling with decent performance, but also offers everything your family might want – namely lots of space for all of their stuff, and somewhere comfortable to while away the miles. Buyers can choose between a mild hybrid petrol, a diesel and a plug-in hybrid, with the latter being officially able to cover up to 55 miles on electric power alone – more than the rival Lexus NX450h+ can manage.
Read our full BMW X3 review
Dacia Duster
It would be easy to dismiss the Dacia Duster as only being here because it doesn't cost much to buy – but to do that would be to miss out on all the other attributes of what is a cracking SUV. For starters, it's offered with a strong line-up of engines – of which the TCe 130 mild hybrid is our pick – and has a comfortable ride. And while some of the interior feels built to a price, the controls are all simple to use, and the Duster's elevated driving position means you get a good view out of the car. Then there's Dacia's good reliability record to consider, with the brand not only performing well in our latest Reliability Survey, but also offering all Dusters with a seven-year, 75,000-mile warranty.
Read our full Dacia Duster review
Hyundai Inster
The market for small electric cars is truly hotting up, and the Inster is Hyundai's attempt to offer all that's good about an electric car for a very low price – indeed, as a cash buy the Inster will cost you less than rivals including the BYD Dolphin, Fiat 500e and Vauxhall Corsa Electric. Don't think there's not more to like beyond its bargain price, tag, though, because entry-level versions of the Inster can still cover 203 miles on a charge according to official figures, while the Long Range models can cover 229 miles. We like that the Inster feels nippy around town, and that it has a well controlled ride, while your family will like that despite its tiny dimensions, it's surprisingly spacious inside.
Read our full Hyundai Inster review
Hyundai Santa Fe
Let's be clear – the new Hyundai Santa Fe is absolutely enormous. But with that size comes the kind of versatility which will please growing families, because this SUV has comfortable seating for seven people. And we're not talking about short people here, either, because no matter whether you're in the front, the middle or the rearmost rows, you'll have space to stretch out. There's more to the Santa Fe's talents than just space, though, because it also offers capable handling, impressive refinement, and the kind of sweet yet accurate steering which makes it a joy to hustle along a country road.
A few years ago, Kia's first electric SUV, the EV6, took home our top accolade, which means the new Kia EV3 is in a better position than most to repeat that success. It's off to a good start, too, because despite existing in an increasingly competitive market, the EV3 stands out from its rivals thanks to a comfortable ride, hushed cruising manners and an impressively long range. Indeed, it's officially capable of covering up to 320 miles in Long Range form – more than the equivalent versions of most rivals. And while you'll pay more to own an EV3 than you would for some other small electric SUVs, we think the EV3 still represents good value for money thanks to its breadth of abilities, and the fact that you get a lot of kit as standard.
Read our full Kia EV3 review
Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet
The regular Mercedes CLE has already impressed us in coupé form, which means hopes are high for this open-top version. Despite that, the CLE Cabriolet has continued to delight, from its fine ride and handling balance, to its impressive refinement with its roof down. Indeed, with the roof open to the elements you can enjoy the especially evocative sound of the 3.0-litre, six-cylinder petrol engine in the range-topping AMG 53 model. There's proper space for four adults inside the CLE Cabriolet, and decent space for your luggage even when you've folded the roof away.
It might be a world apart from the two-seat MG sports cars with which the company originally found fame, but the HS has been carefully thought out and has lots of appeal for families on the move. For a start, it has a good amount of space for passengers, as well as more boot space than you'll find in some rivals. Second, the commanding driving position gives you an excellent view out of the front of the car. Then there's the flexible line-up of engines, whether you choose the peppy 1.5-litre petrol, or the plug-in hybrid, which has an official electric range of up to 75 miles – more than almost any rival. A low list price and long warranty round out what is an incredibly tempting package.
Read our full MG HS review
Mini Cooper Electric
It was always going to be a gamble to take one of Britain's best-selling small cars and make it electric, but it's largely paid off for the latest Mini Cooper. Its all-new underpinnings, combined with sharp and direct steering, have endowed this Mini with agile handling, meaning you'll have more fun on a twisting country road than you would in rivals including the MG4 or Vauxhall Corsa Electric. Combined with nippy acceleration – even entry-level versions can reach 62mph in 7.3sec – and a decent range, especially in mid-range SE form, and there's plenty of substance to match the Mini's style.
Read our full Mini Cooper Electric review
Peugeot 5008
The third-generation Peugeot 5008 is more compelling for families than ever, with seven usable seats and the kind of boot space which means nobody will need to pack light. That it also offers a comfortable ride and hushed cruising manners will help to keep everyone happy on a long journey, too, as will the fact that the interior feels high quality and built to last. You can choose between hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric power, with the latter officially able to cover up to 410 miles on a charge – that's more than you'd get from the similarly gargantuan Kia EV9.
Read our full Peugeot 5008 review
Porsche Macan Electric
The new Porsche Macan Electric is proof that going green can still be fun. Indeed, such is the sheer punch with which it pushes you back into your seat when you press the accelerator pedal to the floor, that we think you're likely to be grinning just as widely as you would in the best combustion-engined sports SUVs. And with agile handling, great feeling from the brakes and a composed ride, the Macan Electric feels exciting no matter the road you're on. Every version comes with the same 95kWh (usable capacity) battery, resulting in an official range of up to 398 miles. The interior is as beautifully finished as you'd expect at this price point, and we like that there's decent space for rear passengers, as well as good space for all of their luggage – split for the first time between two boots.
Read our full Porsche Macan Electric review
Renault 5
The Renault 5 name returns for a small car which has already captured the imaginations of What Car? readers – after all, the car won our Reader's Choice award last year, where it collected almost twice as many votes as the second-place car. That excitement appears to have been well earned, because in practice the 5 has impressed us with its comfortable ride, easy to use infotainment system and competitive pricing – even the most expensive version you can buy undercuts the cheapest Mini Cooper Electric, for example. It's also easier to stop smoothly than most other electric cars, thanks to an innovative 'brake by wire' setup.
Renault is on a bit of a roll at the moment, and if the 5 above isn't big enough for your needs, perhaps the Scenic electric SUV will be. Like the smaller 5, you'll pay less for one than you would for many rivals, and that's despite it coming loaded with kit, and benefitting from a whole host of safety and assistance technologies. An impressive official range of up to 379 miles means that long trips should be a doddle, while a comfy ride and impressive refinement means that hours spent behind the wheel will be no hassle. As for your family, they'll have more space for their luggage than in the rival Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, as well as good head and leg room.
Read our full Renault Scenic review
Skoda Elroq
Skoda knows a thing or two about building impressive electric SUVs, but distilling all that's good about the Skoda Enyaq down into a smaller, more affordable package is a hard ask indeed. Still, the result is impressive, with the Elroq being both good to drive and spacious for people and luggage. Indeed, not only is the Elroq more comfortable over rough surfaces than the Kia EV3, Smart #1 or Volvo EX30, but you'll get more into its boot than you can in those cars too. And when you factor in that the Elroq is also cheaper to buy in most cases, it all adds up to one very tempting package.
Few cars have won as many What Car? Awards as the Skoda Superb over the years, and the latest version remains thoroughly impressive in hatchback form. In fact, it effectively exists in a class of one, because none of its executive car rivals are anything like as spacious, and few are as affordable. And when you add in its supreme comfort, pleasant driving dynamics and the fact that every version comes loaded with kit, it's a very tempting package. The addition of a plug-in hybrid model would be the cherry on the cake here, but sadly no such version is offered.
Read our full Skoda Superb review
Smart #3
Taking on the Skoda Enyaq Coupé and Volvo EC40, the Smart #3 is the larger sibling to the very successful – and What Car? Award-winning – #1, and as you might expect it aims to be a larger, more luxurious and more spacious sibling to that car. The two models share many of the same positive attributes, being good to drive and having a smart interior. And in the case of the #3, there's also a decent range to consider, with the Pro+ model officially able to cover up to 270 miles between charges. As for the price, it's slightly more expensive than the #1 on a like-for-like basis, and cheaper than most direct rivals.
Read our full Smart #3 review
Suzuki Swift
Frugality is the order of the day in the Suzuki Swift, with its mild hybrid technology leading to excellent real-world fuel economy. Indeed, in our tests, it proved to be even more frugal than the fully hybrid MG3. That helps to counteract the Suzuki's slightly higher list price, too. While it's not likely to set your soul alight, the Swift does offer tidy handling and a pleasant action from its manual gearbox. The driving position is sound, too, and there's excellent visibility around the car. Plus, the interior is smarter than that of the Toyota Aygo X.
Electric estate cars are still relatively few and far between, but the ID 7 Tourer makes an excellent case for them. Not only is it a very competent electric car, with an official range of up to 424 miles in mid-spec Pro S form, but it's also very spacious. Indeed, its 605-litre boot capacity beats that of the BMW i5 Touring and Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. And to seal the deal, you'll pay considerably less for the ID 7 compared with those rivals in the first place.
Read our full Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer review
Volkswagen Passat
The latest Volkswagen Passat is only available as an estate car these days, but thankfully it's a very good example of the breed. It's also absolutely vast, measuring around 4.7m, which translates to acres of space inside for both people and luggage. Practically speaking, then, not only can your family relax on a long journey, but they can bring the kitchen sink with them too if they want to. While the regular petrol-engined versions of the Passat are peppy, it's worth noting that the plug-in hybrid models are especially tempting for company car drivers because of their long electric ranges, which leads to low benefit-in-kind tax payments.
Read our full Volkswagen Passat review
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
