Renault 5 wins big at the 2025 Scottish Car of the Year awards - here's the full list of winners

The annual award was judged by members of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, in association with Arnold Clark, with the prize announced at a gala dinner at the Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club in Edinburgh on Thursday 27 November.

The 5 impressed the judges with its unique fusion of iconic style and cutting-edge electric technology. Its retro-inspired design captures the spirit of the original while delivering a thoroughly modern driving experience. Praised for its lively performance and effortless handling, the Renault 5 offers genuine fun behind the wheel.

Its compact size and nimble agility make it perfect for Scotland’s varied roads and city streets. Exceptional efficiency and good practicality for its size round out its appeal, making it an ideal everyday car. With its blend of charm, innovation, and driving dynamics, the Renault 5 stood out in a competitive field. It’s a deserving winner that combines heritage with forward-thinking design.

Strong showing for Chinese, Korean and Japanese manufacturers

This year’s awards witnessed a strong showing from Chinese brands with nominations for BYD, Xpeng, and Jaecoo-Omoda, with one manufacturer edging just ahead in various categories.

Electrified cars continued to make their mark as the Renault 5 also took home the Small Car prize and the Jaecoo 7 claimed the Best Family Car and Best Newcomer award. Kia lifted the Best Compact Crossover/SUV trophy for the Kia EV3, which sold its 10,000th unit to a retail customer from Edinburgh this month according to Head of Press and Public relations at Kia Dan Sayles, who accepted the award.

Mazda’s brilliant new CX-80 won the Large Car title, and the Genesis e-GV70 was named Premium/Executive Car of 2025.

The hotly contested Performance category was won by the amazing Alpine A290 - another EV and a close relation to the ultimate winner, the Renault 5.

At the other end of the scale and going back to basics with the much adored Utility category, the Toyota Land Cruiser won over the judges.

As well as highlighting the best new cars released in the UK market during 2025, two awards aimed at recognising outstanding value in the second hand car market were also given.

The Used Car Under £18,000 trophy was won by the MG HS, while the Used Car Over £18,000 was taken by the well-deserved Hyundai Tucson.

Ally Ballingall, ASMW president, said: “To say competition for this year’s Scottish Car of the Year was tough is an understatement. After a whole year, scores of cars, and thousands of miles, it all comes down to one decision and our judges said the winning car had to make financial sense in these tough times, but it also must appeal to our heart strings just as much as our wallets.

“The overall winner also had to be practical, capable, great to drive, and look the part. That’s a big ask, but the one car did it all and plenty more, and that was the Renault 5.”

Adam Wood, Managing Director and Country Head Renault Group UK, said: “It's a huge honour to become the first manufacturer to win the overall ‘Scottish Car of the Year’ title two years in a row. It’s a clear signal of the fun, accessibility and sheer style that the Renault 5 brings to the UK market, and, following last year’s success for Scenic E-Tech electric, underlines the strength and depth of our new pure electric line-up.”