Striking start to 2025: Hyundai SANTA FE, IONIQ 5 N and INSTER shine at What Car? and Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year awards
- All-new SANTA FE named Seven-seater of the Year by What Car? and crowned Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year in the Large SUV category
- Cutting-edge IONIQ 5 N wins Technology Award for N e-shift innovation and is also recognised as Best Electric Hot Hatch
- New Hyundai INSTER hailed as Best Small Electric Car for the City
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Hyundai has got the new year off to a flying start, with the brand celebrating major success in the 2025 What Car? Awards and also winning in the category of Large SUV at the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year Award.
The prestigious What Car? Awards are held annually by the UK’s biggest car buying guide, and this year three of Hyundai’s exciting line-up of cars were in the spotlight. Leading the way was the all-new SANTA FE, which was crowned Seven-seater of the Year, while the IONIQ 5 N received the prestigious Technology Award for its groundbreaking N e-shift feature and was hailed Best Electric Hot Hatch.
There was also recognition for the newest member of the Hyundai line-up, the INSTER, which was acclaimed as the Best Small Electric Car for the City.
The awards were decided by What Car?’s expert team of judges, who have driven hundreds of new cars over the past 12 months, both on the road and at the title’s private track.
The all-new Hyundai SANTA FE picked up the Seven-seater of the Year award thanks to its compelling blend of quality and practicality, plus an impressive powertrain which features the 1.6-litre T-GDi Smartstream engine in two hybrid versions (with two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive), and also a four-wheel-drive Plug-in hybrid.
The package is enhanced by a striking design, with a distinctive boxy silhouette and a roomy interior, suited to a range of outdoor and urban activities. Fully foldable second- and third-row seats provide class-leading interior space, while the variety of high-tech, practical features adds to its nature-meets-city appeal. The all-new SANTA FE also comes with a myriad of safety features, and a full suite of Hyundai Smart Sense Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.
All these factors have elevated the SANTA FE to global recognition, securing the 2025 Women's Worldwide Car of the Year Award in the Large SUV category.
The Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year is an international award celebrating excellence in the automotive industry. Judged by an all-female panel of 82 motoring journalists from 55 countries, it evaluates vehicles across categories such as safety, technology, comfort, environmental impact, and gender equality.
IONIQ 5 N continues its winning streak in 2025
Since its launch in late 2023, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N has earned rave reviews thanks to a driving experience that is the perfect fusion of modern electric performance and old-school hot hatch charm, and its ever-growing trophy cabinet has been bolstered again with What Car?’s Technology Award and Best Electric Hot Hatch accolade.
Contacts
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Adriana Cerami
Head of Corporate & Brand PR
acerami@hyundai-europe.comElvira Herrera
Executive & Internal Communications Expert
eherrera@hyundai-europe.comMaria Bricio
Corporate & Brand Communications Expert
mbricio@hyundai-europe.comConor Twomey
Head of Product PR
conor.twomey@hyundai-europe.comAdrian Péré
Product PR Manager
apere@hyundai-europe.comÁngel Pino Pérez
Product PR & Communications Expert
apinoperez@hyundai-europe.comKatharina Kupper
Hyundai Newsroom Lead
