Kia’s first winner of long-running national award cited for range, design excellence.

KIA NZ boss todd mcdonald accepts the award from nz motoring writers’ guild president matt hansen (right).

CAR of the Year credential has attached to a Kia electric car.

Achieving as 2025 New Zealand Car of the Year makes the EV3 the sixth EV to scoop New Zealand’s premier motoring award within the past seven years. It is also the first Kia to secure the NZ Motoring Writers’ Guild prize, annually delivered since 1988.

Judges, comprising motoring writers from around the country, were involved in the decision, which came down to picking the best of 10 finalists.

In respect to this publication, the EV3 placed second-equal in reckoning, dead-heating with the Cadillac Lyriq, but overall preference went to the Volkswagen ID.Buzz (below), on strength of it meeting a requirement not formally requisite to judging, but important to this writer.

Simply, despite some recognised shortcomings, it was the only one of the candidates this writer would have wanted to keep. The reasons why are outlined in the ‘love beats bugs’ test here.

The EV3 nonetheless registered fairly well when tested by MotoringNZ.

The appraisal considered it did well for being a car of urban friendly size with huge open road competence and registered as a category champ for range, efficiency, dynamics and comfort. Also noted were small yet irksome spec shortcomings and it was decided that, for all its quality, the $63k Light LR version tested would stand a better chance with sub-$60k pricing.

Kia New Zealand managing director Todd McDonald said the EV3’s achievement reflected “… the amazing work Kia and its team all around the world are doing to shape the future of sustainable personal mobility, at the same time helping to make the planet a better place through innovative, clean and thought-provoking transport solutions.”

In announcing the EV3, Guild president Matthew Hansen noted the national honour here follows significant international award success for the vehicle.

“The New Zealand trophy follows on from the EV3 winning World Car of the Year honours for 2025,” said Hansen. “But our award is the most relevant for New Zealanders, as an assessment of the EV3 from motoring writers from all across the country, who have assessed the vehicle on our local conditions.

“To win a Car of the Year crown, a vehicle must impress the Guild’s motoring experts for multiple reasons.

“In the case of the EV3, those reasons include its striking exterior design, a spacious and well-finished interior, leading edge technology, polished on-road manners, top safety rating, excellent range, and rapid charging capability.

“The EV3 builds on Kia's strong electric vehicle foundations, established over several years with models like 2024 New Zealand Car of the Year nominee, the EV9. We recognise and congratulate Kia on the way it continues to sharpen and strengthen its line-up.”

In addition to Lyriq and ID>Buzz, EV3 beat the Audi A5, Geely Starray EM-I, Mercedes-Benz G 580, MG QS, Mini Aceman, Nissan Ariya and Subaru Forester.

Evaluation by more two-thirds of the Guild’s voting members is required for award consideration, with testing undertaken over each member’s local roads. This allows voting to be based on the same experience an owner would have, using the car in their day-to-day life, in different parts of New Zealand.

Required criteria when considering a vehicle includes weighing up how it performs its intended role; the styling, interior design and accommodation; fit, finish and quality; ride and refinement; performance; road-holding and handling; value for money; active and passive safety and also environmental responsibility.

The award was announced last night on the TVNZ light entertainment show Seven Sharp.