Retro-futuristic hatchback and its hot hatch twin take 353 votes from 60 European journalists
The Renault 5 and its hot hatch twin the Alpine A290 have won the coveted Car of the Year award for 2025, giving Renault back-to-back wins in the annual contest.
The 5 and A290 won 353 points from the jury of 60 journalists.
It was followed by the Kia EV3 (291 points), the Citroën C3/e-C3 (215), Dacia Duster (172), Hyundai Inster (168), Cupra Terramar (165) and Alfa Romeo Junior (136).
Last year’s winner was the Renault Scenic, and the Jeep Avenger took top honours in 2023.
Renault is the first manufacturer to win two on the trot since Fiat in 1995 and 1996, with the Punto and Bravo.
Autocar is a sponsor of Car of the Year, with editor Mark Tisshaw holding a seat on its jury. Each juror nominates seven new cars that were driven and on sale before the end of the previous calendar year. The seven cars with the most combined votes then make up the final shortlist.
To qualify for Car of the Year, a model must be all-new; facelifts such as the recent Tesla Model 3 or Renault Clio updates are not permitted. New derivatives alone do not qualify as new cars – hence the A290 being considered a single car alongside the 5 on which is it based.
Car of the Year 2025: How Autocar’s Mark Tisshaw voted
Renault 5/Alpine A290: 9 points
Hugely significant not just for Renault, but for the wider car industry in showing that electric cars can be both desirable and affordable. The 5’s wonderful styling us backed up by how good it is to drive, with excellent comfort levels and well-judged performance. The interior is a huge leap over the Clio for little extra cost. Alpine adds further sparkle but the 5 is strong enough on its own.
Dacia Duster: 6 points
So much better than the old one in almost every department and in ways that appeal to both the heart and the head. That Dacia asks for so little extra money in return makes it even more remarkable. The Duster shows that Dacia has successfully moved away from being a cheap car maker while still being a maker of cheap cars. It’s just unfortunate to run into the Renault 5 in this competition.
Citroen C3/e-C3: 4 points
Unfussy to drive and simple in its approach. It grew on me throughout the competition for driving so well. But it feels like Dacia has stolen a surprise march on Citroen by so cleverly disguising the Duster’s low-cost roots, whereas the C3 always reminds you it’s a cheap car with its rather plain look and austere feel. Even so, the pricing is admirable, particularly the e-C3. More to like than not.
Kia EV3: 4 points
The EV3 does almost everything well and nothing badly and is a big improvement over the Niro EV, a car it will nominally replace. The interior is a particular highlight and the range is strong. Keenly priced, too. What stops it scoring higher is how it feels a refinement and evolution of a path cars of its type have long been on, whereas the likes of the Renault 5 really break new ground.
Cupra Terramar: 1 point
Quite a nice car in isolation, but doesn’t feel anything new. We’ve seen the Terramar’s likes before from other related VW Group products. That’s not a bad thing, yet it doesn’t stand out in this company. What it does best is provide a more visually interesting option inside and out against a fairly depressingly plain competitor set. For that reason, I like what Cupra is about and trying to do.
Hyundai Inster: 1 point
The cute styling on the outside is so far removed from the grown-up inside that you struggle to believe they’re contained within the same diminutive package. The clever interior packaging and space is the highlight. It doesn’t drive how you’d expect either in being quite grown up and nowhere near as fun as a Honda E. Priced alongside the Renault 5 in the UK and the Inster cannot get near that.
Alfa Romeo Junior: 0 points
Stellantis brands have done well to differentiate themselves in the styling of their cars but on the inside and the way they drive, it’s hard to tell one from the other. The Alfa Junior is a case in point: it feels every bit the reskinned Jeep Avenger that it is. While the Avenger was COTY two years ago, the world has moved on plenty since. The Alfa just feels like it’s been done before.
