Although it's still August, here's the list of cars vying for a place in the finals of the European Car of the Year 2025. This award has been around since 1964 and is for cars that are already on the market or will be on the market by the end of the year at least five European countries.
41 cars from 29 different brands are nominated, among which more and more are Chinese. The program plans to finalize the list of all nominees on November 15, and the first round of voting will take place on November 22, when the seven finalists will be selected.
The heterogeneous list includes small cars, hatchbacks, sedans and sports cars, as well as many SUVs, 25 electric cars, including models that are only available with battery power or also with classic internal combustion engines. The manufacturer with the largest number of candidates is Renault with three models: 5, Rafale and Symbioz. Chinese brands such as BYD, MG (British but owned by SAIC) and Xpeng are also represented, and 7 models come from Germany.
59 juries from 22 European countries will vote. Let's take a look at all the cars competing for the 2025 Car of the Year title, which will succeed the Renault Scenic E-Tech, the 2024 Car of the Year.
Candidates for the Car of the Year 2025
Alfa Romeo Junior
Audi Q6 e-tron
BMW X2/iX2
BYD Seal U
Citroën C3/e-C3
Citroën C3 Aircross
Cupra Tavascan
Cupra Terramar
Dacia Duster
Fiat Grande Panda
Ford Explorer
Ford Tourneo Courier
Hyundai Inster
Hyundai Santa Fe
KGM Torres
Kia EV3
Lexus LBX
Maserati GranTurismo
Maserati Grecale
Mazda CX-80
MG3
MG Cyberster
Mini Cooper SE
Mini Countryman
Opel Grandland
Opel Frontera
Polestar 3
Polestar 4
Porsche Macan
Renault 5
Renault Symbiosis
Renault Rafale
Skoda Superb
Skoda Kodiaq
Smart # 3
Suzuki Swift
Toyota Land Cruiser
Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Tiguan
Volvo EX90
XPeng G6
