It is one of the most popular awards in Europe for car manufacturers. This year, it was once again Renault that received this coveted title, for the second year in a row, thanks this time to the Renault 5 E-Tech.
The title of car of the year (or Car of the Year) allows you to gain great visibility among the general public. Car manufacturers are therefore fond of it, but the competition is not easy, because it is necessary to convince a panel of European journalists, with very different tastes and expectations in terms of automobiles.
Electric cars are reaching the final of the event more and more often, and even regularly winning the title of car of the year, a sign that mentalities are changing. The awards ceremony was held live from the Brussels show on January 10, 2025.
Reminder of the finalists for the car of the year 2025
The years follow each other, but they are not alike in terms of the finalists for the car of the year trophy. While thermal vehicles (or hybrids) had almost disappeared from the finalists of previous editions, they returned in force in 2025. Which makes you wonder if an electric car could win against hybrids.
Here is the list of finalists:
- Alfa Romeo Junior
- Citroën C3/e-C3
- Cupra Terramar
- Dacia Duster
- Hyundai Inster
- Let’s EV3
- Renault 5 e-tech
A double for Renault: Renault 5 e-tech/Alpine A290
In 2024, it was the Renault Scénic which managed to convince the European jury, but the match was particularly close until the last votes.
This year, the victory is much clearer. The Renault 5 e-tech has been acclaimed by several countries, including France (obviously). Even though other models like the Kia EV3, Cupra Terramar and Citroën ë-C3 fought well, the Renault quickly built a lead and finished with 353 points.
It should be noted that the two models: Renault 5 e-tech and Alpine A290 were submitted to the competition, but they were combined into a single application. Both brands can benefit from the title and the communication that accompanies it, which is quite surprising. The two models display significantly different performances despite a common base.
It is extremely rare for the same manufacturer to win this title two years in a row. This only happened once with Fiat in 1995 and 1996. Renault has reason to be proud of having succeeded in this ambitious challenge.
What if it wasn’t the last title? Next year, Renault will certainly submit the Renault 4 e-tech, and the following year the Renault Twingo, the interior of which has just been revealed. We will of course have to see who comes up against these models, but who knows what the future may hold for the French manufacturer. The Renault teams are in a positive dynamic, and we hope that this will continue over the coming years.
Source: www.numerama.com
