cinch Car of the Year Awards 2025
Our team of experts pick out the cars that excited us most in 2025
)
2025 has witnessed the arrival of several exciting new car brands, as well as the return of some familiar favourites. It's been anything but quiet.
Over the past 12 months, we’ve been out on the road testing many of the latest and greatest new cars.
That can only mean one thing – it’s time for the cinch Car of the Year Awards 2025.
So, without further ado, let's get stuck in.
cinch Car of the Year 2025 categories:
Best Hybrid Car
Best Large SUV
Best Small SUV
Best Hatchback
Best Performance Car
Best Electric Car
Best Budget Car
Best Car Feature
Most Exciting Brand
Most Anticipated Cars of 2026
Best Hybrid Car
Winner: Volkswagen Golf eHybrid
)
The Volkswagen Golf eHybrid Mk8.5 is a true return to form. Gone are the fiddly controls hated as much by buyers as journalists, to be replaced by a safer, more user-friendly interior.
But the Golf's eHybrid system is what makes it unstoppable. 88 miles of electric range (double the outgoing model) and 500 miles from a full tank and full charge.
Plus, it's a Golf – it doesn't get more do-it-all than that.
)
Runners-up:
)
Hyundai Santa Fe
Blocky looks are all the rage in 2025, and the Hyundai Santa Fe does it best.
But beyond the 8-bit styling is a genuinely impressive seven-seater that any tech-hungry family will get plenty of miles out of.
Peugeot 5008
Seven-seaters dominate the hybrid rankings, and the Peugeot 5008 earns its place by being one of the most stylish, practical and efficient on the market.
Best Large SUV
Winner: Dacia Bigster
)
The winner of our best large SUV category is none other than the Dacia Bigster – a car that ticks the boxes for budget-friendliness and practicality.
Not to brag, but we drove the new Bigster in the Alps earlier this year, and it impressed both off-road and on with its tech and interior space. We even slept in it overnight to prove it.
Oh yeah, and its starting price is just over £21,000 and it has a 677-litre boot. It's a great all-rounder.
Runners-up:
)
Volkswagen Tayron
When Volkswagen discontinued the Tiguan Allspace, we were worried we’d never see another seven-seat Volkswagen SUV again. Then came the Tayron in all its family SUV glory.
With up to 850 litres of boot space, familiar VW trinkets and a wide range of engine options (mild hybrid, diesel and plug-in hybrid), there was no chance it wouldn’t make this list.
Citroën C5 Aircross
If you want a smooth-riding, practical large SUV, the Citroën C5 Aircross is hard to beat.
As the name suggests, you get Citroën’s famous trick suspension, plus a 651-litre boot. It seriously looks the part, too.
Best Small SUV
Winner: Škoda Elroq
)
Of all the new small SUVs launched this year, the Škoda Elroq stood out the most to us.
It’s everything that’s great about Škoda, offering clever storage solutions and a comfortable ride, but without being too serious.
We like to think of it as the trusty family dog. It’s dependable, predictable and just keeps plodding along.
Except we’re not entirely convinced a Labrador can walk 360 miles on one fuelling stop…
Runners-up:
)
VW T-Roc
Hot on the Elroq's heels, though, is the new Volkswagen T-Roc, with a new look and overhauled interior.
We were lucky enough to be one of the first to see it out in Germany, and on first impressions, we can’t wait to drive it on UK roads.
It’s a real step forward for one of VW’s most popular SUVs, and we’d be surprised if it doesn’t sell like hot cakes.
Ford Puma Gen-E
We Brits love the Puma, and Ford making it battery-powered only adds to its appeal.
233 miles of range, a splendid yellow paint option (the T-Roc also comes in yellow), available on the new £3,750 EV government grant and our third favourite small SUV of 2025.
Best Hatchback
Winner: Renault Clio
)
Now the Ford Fiesta is no more, the Renault Clio Hybrid is one of the few remaining ‘old school’ hatchbacks for sale. And we love it, which is why the recently-launched version makes the Clio our hatchback of the year (again).
We can’t get enough of its fantastic hybrid system, its manual gearbox option (hybrid excluded) and how beautifully it drives.
So, when Renault showed off the brand-new Clio at the Munich Motor Show, we knew it would take the top spot.
Sadly, the new one won’t grace our roads until 2027, but it’s not that sad because the current one is still an absolute gem.
Runners-up:
)
Hyundai INSTER
The Hyundai INSTER offers a very unique feature to this category – it turns into a campervan.
It proves small doesn't mean stingy. All four seats can fold flat, so you can lay an air mattress on top, take your surfboard to the beach or give your dog plenty of room. You get it, it's properly versatile.
Alpine A290
We loved the Renault 5 so much last year that it would be rude not to include its incredibly capable Alpine sibling – the A290 electric hot hatch.
With 220hp, uprated suspension and a rally-inspired look, it’s hard to justify not getting excited about it.
Not to mention it’s super fun on a track… just watch our review on it.
Best Performance Car
Winner: Mercedes-AMG GT63
)
Having technology that’s filtered down from its F1 team, the Mercedes-AMG GT63 is one of the finest road cars you can buy.
It’s Mercedes’ way of coming for the Porsche 911 GT3’s crown and, wow, it really makes a statement.
It’s not cheap at close to £200,000, but it all makes sense when you fire up that 4.0-litre V8 and tackle a corner.
Runners-up:
)
BMW M5
We had a blast when BMW lent us the new M5 for a week, and as you can see from our review, we didn’t hold back. How could you when you’ve got 727hp under your right foot?
And even after you’ve fired across the countryside, you can switch into electric mode and drive over 40 miles on EV power alone. It’s the petrolhead’s plug-in hybrid dream.
Lotus Emeya 900 Sport Carbon
If 43 miles of range isn’t quite enough and you want to somehow go even faster, then look no further than the Lotus Emeya 900 Sport Carbon.
With 905hp and a 0-62mph time of just 2.78 seconds, it blew our minds. Especially with how it handled some bumpy British B-roads.
Best Electric Car
Winner: BYD SEALION 7
)
We’ve crowned the SEALION 7 as our best electric of the year because it consistently delivers in almost every aspect of driving.
Need space? Sorted. Want a good electric range? No problem. A design that stands out from the crowd? Easy.
It’s one of those cars that rises to the occasion in every task you throw its way. The SEALION 7 was an obvious choice for our EV winner.
)
Runners-up:
)
Tesla Model Y
We’ve given second place to the new Tesla Model Y, which, as you’d expect, is downright impressive straight out of the box. 391 miles of range and the best tech of almost any car on the road today, it ticks all boxes for the discerning EV buyer.
The real feather in its cap is the Tesla Supercharger network - in our view, still one of the best charging networks available.
BMW iX3
Coming in hot on the Tesla’s heels is the brand-new BMW iX3, which we had a first look at in Germany in September.
It promises up to 500 miles of range, and despite controversial looks, it shows a real step-up for BMW among increasingly tough EV competition.
Best Budget Car
Winner: Dacia Duster
)
Our winner for best budget car is (quite predictably) a Dacia, but more specifically, the new Duster.
With a starting price of less than £22,000, this is the ultimate family SUV if you’re on a budget. It’s packed full of all the latest tech and gadgets you’d want, plus it can handle the muddy stuff with ease.
)
Runners-up:
)
BYD DOLPHIN SURF
Pipped to the budget crown is the BYD DOLPHIN SURF – a fully electric city car with a big range and a low price.
Starting from just £18,650, this Chinese EV is one of the cheapest new electric cars money can buy.
The mind boggles at how BYD manages to fit 200 miles of range and all that tech in a car this compact.
Nissan Micra
The updated all-electric Micra is another budget car you shouldn’t ignore. It has all the signs of being a new hero car for Nissan.
It shares many of its parts with the affable Renault 5, so it’s fun to drive and a great all-round city car. Plus, it’s priced from just £22,995. Bonus.
Honourable mention: JAECOO 7
)
A special mention has to be given to the JAECOO 7. This affordable Range Rover alternative has taken the UK by storm this year, out-selling most of its key competitors, such as the Nissan Qashqai.
It was even the UK's best-selling Chinese car in October and the fourth best-selling car in September across the whole of the UK.
Best Car Features
At cinch, we love to find the weird and wonderful features in ordinary cars.
But of course, you’d know about this if you’re following our socials…
To round off the year, we’ve picked four of our favourite car features from the last 12 months.
Mercedes automatic seat adjustment
)
Have you ever stepped foot in a new car and found it tricky to find your ideal seating position?
Mercedes knows the feeling, which is why it made an automatic seat adjustment system.
All you need to do is tell the car your height (in centimetres or feet), and the driver’s seat will automatically adjust to what the car thinks is the ideal right position.
It’s all very clever and works for everyone from 4’9” to 7’3”.
Hyundai INSTER folding seats
)
We alluded to this in the best hatchback segment, but it’s true – you can really sleep in a Hyundai INSTER.
Don’t believe us? Try folding down all the seats, and you’ll be amazed at the design.
This is something Hyundai is very proud of and says that ‘all seats fold flat to make taking naps or loading big items easy’.
Kia fingerprint scanner
)
Car key alternatives are not a new invention. We’ve already seen keypads on Fords and wristbands for adventurous Land Rover owners, but we haven’t seen many fingerprint scanners.
Kia has started fitting its cars with fingerprint scanners, and we first spotted this in the EV6 GT-Line S.
You can unlock and start your car with your fingerprint, which means you can leave your keys at home.
Most Exciting Car Brand
Winner: BYD
)
The winner of our most exciting car brand is BYD – the obvious choice for 2025.
It’s been going from strength to strength, releasing several exciting cars to the UK market - from the Dolphin SURF to the ATTO 2.
BYD seemingly sprang out of nowhere in the UK, but what most people don’t know is that it’s been working away in the background for decades, making the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid in 2008.
But this is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see where BYD goes from here. They’re definitely ones to watch.
Honourable Mentions
)
Another emerging brand from China, XPENG, launched the G6 here in 2025 and is looking to become the biggest fish in the electric SUV pond. Keep your eyes on what they do next.
And we can’t forget about more established brands like Honda. With new cars like the reborn Prelude and Super EV Concept, it promises a hugely exciting next few years.
Most Anticipated Cars of 2026
We love looking forward to what exciting new cars are to come, and that’s why we’ve picked out a few models you should keep your eye out for in 2026.
Range Rover EV
)
Range Rover is finally going green, and who isn’t excited about what they’ll come up with? We do know it’ll be a big, pokey status-symbol SUV (but much quieter than we're used to).
Promising a sizeable all-electric range and plenty of oomph, it’s going to be a strong status symbol and a model of silent luxury.
BMW 3 Series EV
)
Another icon going electric, we can’t wait for the new BMW 3 Series EV. One of the German brand’s best-selling models is getting its biggest update, perhaps ever, and the anticipation is killing us.
The electric BMW 3 Series is set to become the brand’s new flagship car, under BMW’s Neue Klasse design language.
Renault Twingo
)
Oh, Renault, how we love you.
First was the 5, then the 4 and now the Twingo. Yes, yes and yes. Dacia’s Spring and VW’s upcoming ID.1 better look out.
Nissan LEAF
)
It was a game-changer when it first launched back in 2009, and we’ve been lucky enough to drive the latest Nissan LEAF before it goes on sale. Hint: it’s a good ’un.
Polestar 5
)
We can’t complete this list without mentioning the Polestar 5.
If there was ever a car to take on the Porsche Taycan, this is it.
With up to 884hp and looks that could kill, we can’t wait to see how this one performs.