Car Awards 2025

Car of The Year

Renault Scenic E-Tech | Parkers New Car Awards 2025

• 

  Renault Master

  Van of the Year
• 

  Renault Clio

  Best First Car
• 

  Skoda Kamiq

  Best Small Family Car
• 

  Renault Scenic E-Tech

  Best Medium Family Car
• 

  Volkswagen ID.7

  Best Large Family Car
• 

  BMW i4

  Best Company Car
• 

  Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

  Best Fun Car
• 

  Kia EV9

  Best Seven-Seater Car
• 

  Vauxhall Corsa Yes Edition

  Best Value Car
• 

  BMW i7 and 7 Series

  Best Luxury Car
• 

  Ford Transit Courier

  Best Small Van
• 

  Ford Transit Custom

  Best Medium Van
• 

  Renault Master

  Best Large Van
• 

  Ford Ranger

  Best Pickup
• 

  BMW 3 Series (F30)

  Best Used Car
• 

  Renault Master E-Tech Electric

  Best Electric Van
• 

  Autoglym Ceramic Shampoo

  Best Product under £50
• 

  Worx Nitro HydroShot

  Best Product over £50

Read more: Renault has also won the award for Best New Car Finance 2025.

Renault has swept the board in Parkers' New Car Awards 2025. The new Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric is the Parkers Car of the Year, and the Renault Master is the Van of The Year. They both managed to sweep to victory in hard-fought sectors of the market, and bring the firm's total of awards to an unprecedented seven.

The Renault Scenic E-Tech is a double award winner, and is one of the seven out of 10 electric cars to take the spoils in the second year that EVs and ICE cars go head-to-head in the merged family car categories. The Van and Pickup Awards are headed by the Master, which is crowned the Best Large Van. Other awards picked up by Renault are the Clio for Best First Car, the Master E-Tech for Best Electric Van and Best New Car Finance.

Reflecting the march of EVs, other car category winners of note are the Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 5N, Volkswagen ID.7, BMW i4 and i7, join the Scenic E-Tech in being electric winners on our level playing field. Electric cars don’t have their own categories in our awards, so must be true class leaders to win on their own merit. These all do that and outnumber the combustion-powered cars for the first time.

Ford continues to cement its position as a leading force in the commercial vehicles market, with the Transit Custom picking up Best Medium Van, Transit Courier making Best Small Van and the Ranger being awarded Best Pickup.

The Parkers Car of The Year is...

But right now, the best family car is the all-electric Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric. This duo of accolades continues to cement Renault’s reputation for building cars that fit perfectly into people’s lives – offering a combination of value, comfort, driving range and practicality.

It really is an excellent offering. Inside, there’s plenty of room for growing families, with a well-sized boot and roomy underfloor storage compartment, and plenty of lounging space in the rear. The interior is nicely trimmed, and infotainment system – with full Google integration – works a treat. It’s quick and efficient at charging on the go, and thanks to the availability of an 87kWh battery pack, it’ll beat 300 miles of driving range without too much difficulty.

On the road, the Scenic E-Tech makes an even more convincing case for itself. Around town, it’s comfortable and easy to drive. However, it also satisfies the demands of keen drivers thanks to its well-weighted steering, excellent brakes and lively performance. For an electric family car of this size, it’s relatively light, and that shows in its responsiveness on the road.

The experts at Parkers, one of the UK’s biggest new-car buying and advice website, were impressed by the Renault Scenic E-Tech. Luke Wilkinson, Deputy Editor of Parkers, said: ‘for car enthusiasts, it has a big dash of old-school Renault va-va-voom, with enough spirit in its dynamic DNA to provide a decent amount of fun for keen drivers.’

Keith Adams, Editor of Parkers, added: ‘I’ve owned several Scenics over the years and really rated them all. This one continues that winning streak by bristling with clever, family-friendly tech and lots of storage solutions in an electric family car that delivers all the benefits of plug-in driving and zero ownership dramas.’

Reflecting the march of EVs, other category winners of note are the Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 5N, Volkswagen ID.7, BMW i4 and i7, join the Scenic E-Tech in being electric winners on our level playing field. Electric cars don’t have their own categories in our awards, so must be true class leaders to win on their own merit. These all do that and outnumber the combustion-powered cars for the first time.

The Parkers Van of The Year is...

The Renault Master doesn’t look to drastically reinvent anything; it has just focused in on plenty of crucial factors. The firm has spoken lots about how it has honed in on aerodynamics, which has had knock-on effects on several crucial areas. First and foremost it has improved efficiency, which then means that the electric Master can carry a lighter battery so it can haul a bigger payload and so that costs are kept down.

The cabin is smart and well-equipped, with thoughtful touches dotted around. Some are with those marginal gains in mind too – a physical hand brake lever is included as it’s cheaper, hence keeping costs low. And it’s that attitude to costs that really sums up the Master as a fantastic all-rounder.

Tom Webster, Deputy Head of the Digital Automotive Hub and Vans Editor, said: ‘This was a strong year for new commercial vehicle launches, but the Renault Master stood out for having made advances in areas that really matter to van customers. The new Master's cabin is a comfortable and practical place, while there has been real thought put into elements such as storage and practicality. It's also smooth and easy to drive, whichever version you get into.'

A word on the progress of electification

Keith Adams said: ‘Electrification is a hot topic right now, with lots of hostile media outlets sharing doom-and-gloom stories. But our awards tell their own story, with more EVs taking prizes than ICE cars. The reality is that EVs are becoming viable for an increasing number of buyers, who are in the lucky position to have home or workplace charging to back up the rapidly improving public rapid charger network.’

He continued: ‘So, the cars are there, and the long-distance infrastructure is pretty good, meaning that for those who rack up big miles, range anxiety truly is a thing of the past. The remaining challenge is destination charging in our towns and on our streets. If the government is serious about the take-up of electric cars going forward, it needs to work with local authorities to ramp up the number of street charging points. Vauxhall is leading the way here with its innovative Electric Streets campaign, and it should be applauded for this.’

Parkers is on the side of car buyers first and foremost and has been for more than half a century. ‘Times are hard, and many drivers are facing cost-of-living challenges right now. As such, it’s good to see electric cars getting more affordable, with parity between ICE and EV pricing becoming more widespread. Expect more as the year unfolds.’ Keith added.