Kia wins big at the 2026 Auto Express New Car Awards

• Kia Picanto wins ‘City Car of the Year’ for the second year in a row
• Kia PV5 Passenger celebrated as ‘Family Car of the Year’
• PV5 Cargo wins ‘Electric Van of the Year’ and ‘Small Van of the Year’
• Kia EV2 and EV3 highly commended in their respective categories

Kia has secured four major accolades in the 2026 Auto Express New Car Awards, with the Picanto keeping its title as ‘City Car of the Year’, and Kia’s PBV line-up taking home three major honours. The PV5 Passenger won ‘Family Car of the Year’, while the PV5 Cargo was recognised as ‘Electric Van of the Year’ and ‘Small Van of the Year’.

The Auto Express New Car Awards are among the most prestigious accolades in the automotive world, highlighting the very best vehicles across 26 diverse categories. Judged by a panel of seasoned experts, the awards recognise the models they most confidently recommend – based on price, efficiency, safety, connectivity, reliability, and the all-important driving experience.

Kia Picanto: ‘City Car of the Year’
The Kia Picanto retained its title as Auto Express ‘City Car of the Year’ for the second consecutive year, underlining its status as one of the UK's most compelling and capable compact cars. Combining compact dimensions with impressive practicality, high levels of standard equipment and outstanding value for money, the Picanto continues to set the benchmark in the city car segment. So far in 2026, Kia has sold more than 6,500 Picanto models in the UK, cementing it as the second most popular vehicle in its segment.

The Picanto represents much more than just Kia’s smallest car sold in the UK, however, as it represents the brand’s commitment to a model segment from which many manufacturers have reduced their presence in recent years.

Richard Ingram, Deputy Editor and Auto Express, said: “There are plenty of new small EVs joining the city car sector, but right now the Kia Picanto is our favourite option. It’s more composed on the road than its rivals, has all the kit you need and really makes the most of its dinky footprint. It also doesn’t feel cheap - unlike its price tag.”

Kia PV5 Passenger: ‘Family Car of the Year’
The Kia PV5 Passenger was named ‘Family Car of the Year’, recognising its exceptional versatility, generous passenger and luggage space, and ability to meet the demands of modern family life. With a spacious cabin and flexible interior layout, the PV5 Passenger offers a compelling electric mobility solution for larger families. In addition, eligibility for the UK Government's Electric Car Grant (Band 2), providing £1,500 off the on-the-road purchase price, further enhances its appeal for customers looking to make the switch to zero-emission motoring.

Kia PV5 Cargo: ‘Electric Van of the Year’ and ‘Small Van of the Year’
The Kia PV5 Cargo secured a double victory, taking both the ‘Electric Van of the Year’ and ‘Small Van of the Year’ awards. Designed specifically to meet the needs of business users, the PV5 Cargo combines a purpose-built electric platform with impressive load-carrying capability, innovative technology and practical functionality. Its dual award success underlines the model's ability to deliver a highly competitive solution for commercial operators transitioning to an EV powertrain.

The PV5 Cargo initially went on sale at the end of 2025 in L2/H1 form only, with two seats in the front. At the 2026 Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham in April however, the L1/H1 and L2/H2 variants of PV5 Cargo made their European debuts, along with MY27 updates including three-seats as standard with a two-seat no-cost option, initially available for the Cargo L2/H1.

Phil McNamara, Editor at Large, Auto Express commented the following on the PV5’s win: “Kia's brilliant new electric PV5 dominated three categories at the Auto Express New Car Awards 2026. The versatile and fun to drive Passenger version won Family Car of the Year, while the commercial variant won two of our four van trophies: Small Van of the Year and Electric Van of the Year. The awards are a mark of the PV5's all-round excellence.”

Highly commended recognition for EV2 and EV3
Kia’s success at the 2026 Auto Express New Car Awards was further reinforced by highly commended honours for both the EV2 and EV3 in their respective categories of ‘Supermini of the Year’ and ‘Small Company Car of the Year’. Together, the recognition highlights the strength of Kia's expanding electric vehicle range and the brand's continued success in delivering electric vehicles that combine innovative technology, practicality and value.

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