London, UK – 2nd October 2025: The winners of the 2025 News UK Motor Awards have been announced, shining a spotlight on the vehicles and manufacturers defining the UK automotive scene today. Now in its eighth year, the awards—featuring coverage across The Sun and TheTimes.com—recognise excellence across every segment, from city cars and family SUVs to performance icons and luxury machines.
This year, the awards introduced a new category, The Sun Road Trip Car of the Year, in partnership with Travel Texas, highlighting vehicles perfectly suited for long-distance adventures. Judged by a panel of News UK’s esteemed motoring journalists, including The Sun’s Rob Gill, Times Driving’s Will Dron, The Sunday Times’ Nick Rufford, and LUXX magazine’s David Green, the awards celebrated both innovation and enduring appeal.
Mini and Nissan Take Top Honours
The prestigious Sunday Times Car of the Year accolade went to the Mini John Cooper Works Convertible, praised for its infectious driving character and the ability to blend everyday usability with pure, backroad thrills. Nick Rufford enthused:
“Supercars may be more exotic, but they don’t deliver everyday thrills at £37,000. Slip the MINI JCW Convertible into Drive and it zooms off with puppyish enthusiasm, twisting through bends in a way John Cooper would have adored. It was the biggest hoot of all the cars I’ve driven this year.”
Meanwhile, the Nissan Leaf was crowned The Sun Car of the Year, a recognition of its evolution into a true long-distance family EV, equipped with generous interior space, advanced Google-powered technology, and a £29k price tag. Rob Gill of The Sun commented:
“Let’s all raise a pint of Hawkstone Lager to the radically-improved, British-built Nissan Leaf. Now a proper long-distance family motor, it is hands-down The Sun Car of the Year.”
Celebrating Legends and Timeless Design
Heritage vehicles were also celebrated. Marking 60 years of cultural impact, the Ford Transit was named The Sun Legend Car of the Year, a nod to its unmatched reliability and versatility since 1965. The Sunday Times Legend Car of the Year went to the Porsche 911 Targa, lauded for its enduring design, engineering excellence, and seamless blend of heritage and innovation.
In the luxury segment, the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante captured Times Luxury Car of the Year. David Green highlighted its dual appeal:
“Some vehicles possess an undeniable beauty, while others offer exceptional driving appeal. The Vanquish Volante excels in both, delivering stunning aesthetics alongside formidable performance, making it a deserving winner.”
EVs and Hybrids Drive the Market Forward
Reflecting the UK’s rapidly electrifying market, eight of the 22 winners are fully electric. Renault, recognised as Manufacturer of the Year for the second consecutive year, exemplifies this trend, while the Nissan Qashqai e-POWER secured its second Hybrid Car of the Year title. The Kia PV5 Cargo, the brand’s first purpose-built UK van and fully electric commercial vehicle, claimed The Sun Van of the Year, illustrating the growing footprint of EV technology in the light commercial segment.
Will Dron of Times Driving summed up the awards’ relevance:
“The Motor Awards celebrate the very best new cars, highlighting quality, innovation, and practicality across the market. Vehicles like the Skoda Elroq vRS prove that you can have rally-bred performance in a daily driver—a very worthy Times Driving Car of the Year.”
The Full Line-Up of Winners
- Family Car of the Year: Dacia Bigster
- Value Car of the Year: Vauxhall Frontera Electric
- Fun Car of the Year: Ford Puma Gen-E
- Small SUV/Crossover of the Year: Renault 4
- Mid-Sized SUV of the Year: Skoda Elroq
- Large SUV of the Year: Hyundai Santa Fe
- Electric Car of the Year: Kia EV4
- Used Car of the Year: Volvo XC40
- Hybrid Car of the Year: Nissan Qashqai e-POWER
- Manufacturer of the Year: Renault
- Performance Car of the Year: Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
- Hot Hatch of the Year: Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance
- One to Watch: Volkswagen ID Polo / Polo GTI
- Adventure Car of the Year: Ford Ranger PHEV
- Times Luxury Car of the Year: Aston Martin Vanquish Volante
- Sunday Times Legend Car of the Year: Porsche 911 Targa
- Sunday Times Car of the Year: Mini John Cooper Works Convertible
- Times Driving Car of the Year: Skoda Elroq vRS
- The Sun Road Trip Car of the Year: Jeep Wrangler
- The Sun Van of the Year: Kia PV5 Cargo
- The Sun Legend Car of the Year: Ford Transit
- The Sun Car of the Year: Nissan Leaf
Looking Ahead
As the UK automotive market continues its transition towards electrification while cherishing the timeless appeal of heritage vehicles, the News UK Motor Awards remain a benchmark for drivers seeking innovation, style, and driving enjoyment. From accessible family cars to high-performance supercars, this year’s winners exemplify the breadth, ambition, and creativity defining the automotive landscape in 2025.
Rob Walsh, Motors Category Director at News UK, reflected:
“The Motor Awards celebrate cars that truly matter to UK drivers. Our winners reflect innovation, style, and value, showcasing the vehicles that push the industry forward. Congratulations to all of our winners.”
The 2025 News UK Motor Awards have not only recognised excellence but also captured the evolving spirit of the UK motoring scene—where tradition meets technology, and driving pleasure meets sustainability.
