Automotive News Podcast Highlights: 2025 Wards' Top 10 Vehicle Interiors and User Experience Honorees
2025 See's a Shift Towards Mass-Market Electric Vehicles
The automotive industry is witnessing a significant shift in 2025, with mass-market electric vehicles (EVs) taking the spotlight in this year's winning crop. According to Senior Editor David Kiley and Lead Editor Christie Schweinberk, the focus on hybrid and electric efficiency, strong value, practicality, and reliability have been key factors in the success of this year's winners.
Hyundai, a repeat winner, has dominated several categories at the 2025 Drive Car of the Year Australia awards. The South Korean automaker's Santa Fe Hybrid was named Overall Car of the Year, while the Tucson Hybrid clinched the Best Medium SUV title. The Kona Hybrid, on the other hand, was awarded Best Small SUV. Hyundai's impressive performance extended to the 2025 Electrifying.com Awards, where it was crowned EV Brand of the Year. The company's broad and high-quality electric vehicle lineup, ranging from affordable models like the KONA Electric to performance vehicles like the IONIQ 5 N, has been praised for its hybrid efficiency, value, practicality, and versatile model range.
Ford, another repeat winner, has been recognised for its durability and advanced driver-assist systems. The Ranger, Ford's best-selling vehicle, and the Everest, Best Off-Road SUV, have both received accolades. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, an EV, has also been lauded for offering good range, performance, and value, helping make EVs more desirable and practical.
Lexus, a brand known for its reliability and strong hybrid performance, has maintained its strong reputation. The Lexus LBX won the Best Hybrid Compact SUV title for the second consecutive year, and the brand was named the Most Reliable Brand in the UK for the fourth year in a row.
Other notable mentions include Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz, which won Best Family Electric Vehicle for its retro style and good electric range, and Nissan’s Rogue and Kicks models, recognised for value and reliability in the U.S. market.
In contrast to previous years, two models in this year's winning crop are priced below $35,000, indicating a shift towards making EVs more accessible to a wider audience. Furthermore, more battery-electric vehicles were included in this year's winning crop compared to last year, signalling a growing interest in electric vehicles.
In summary, the 2025 winning crop of vehicles has a higher proportion of mass-market electric vehicles compared to luxury electric vehicles. The factors that made the winning vehicles stand out were their emphasis on hybrid and electric efficiency (Hyundai, Lexus), strong value, practicality, and reliability (Hyundai, Lexus, Nissan), advanced technology and durability (Ford), and offering a diverse range of models appealing to different market segments (Hyundai particularly). These qualities contributed to their repeated successes across multiple awards this year.
- The automotive industry's focus on mass-market electric vehicles (EVs) in 2025 is evidenced by their prevalence in this year's winning crop of vehicles.
- Hyundai, a brand recognized for its success in categories like overall and small SUVs, embodies the strengths of EVs through its hybrid efficiency, value, practicality, and versatile model range.
- The growing interest in electric vehicles is signaled by the increased number of battery-electric vehicles in this year's winning crop, with two models priced below $35,000, indicating a push to make EVs more accessible.
