This is how the ‘Car of the Year’ election once started
When did the election originate?
The very first “Car of the Year” election was in 1964. The Rover 2000 won first place then, making it the very first model to hold this renowned title. The same year, the Mercedes-Benz 600 landed in second place. However, the difference in points was considerable, with 76 points for the Rover 2000 and 64 for the Mercedes-Benz 600. The third place, however, received quite a few fewer points, namely 31 for the Hillman Imp.
About the election and scoring
Point scoring is an essential factor of the pageant and the final points are handed out by the judges. Each juror has 25 points to hand out, for which there are two important rules:
- a minimum of five cars must receive points
- no more than ten points may be given to a single car
Points can be given to the best seven cars. This is preceded by a selection process in which 35 cars are first chosen. These cars are voted on, after which seven contenders are thus left for the distribution of points.
Which brands and models have won multiple times?
There is only one model that has won the title multiple times: the Yaris. So the
In terms of brands, of course, there are multiple victories, with Fiat currently on top with a total of nine. Renault, however, is catching up, with a total of eight wins. Including the most recent, which brings us to this year’s election.
The Car of the Year 2025
This year, the Renault actually won twice, as both the Renault 5 and the Renault Alpine A290 are in first place. Kia EV3 is the runner-up and third place is for the Citroën C3.
The final five winners
It is a special year, as Renault also managed to win the title for Car of the Year in 2024, where it was the Scenic that walked away with the honor. Rounding out the top five recent wins, we may add the Jeep Avenger, the Kia EV6 and the Toyota Yaris to the list of winners. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on these cars, so you know exactly which new cars and used cars are a good choice at Louwman.
What must a car of the year meet?
During the election, all cars are judged on multiple aspects, including design, price, comfort, performance, safety and consumption. Plus the fact that the car must be sold in at least five European countries and have minimum (expected) sales of 5,000 units. Which is obviously nice to know in connection with possible future repairs and parts replacement. However, if you still need a little more information about a specific model, check out our car tests as well .