For the 2025 Awards, we’ve had a bit of a reorganisation. When it comes to large family vehicles, the line between ‘car’ and ‘SUV’ has become so blurred that it’s effectively pointless. So we’ve grouped them together.
Instead, we’ve separated large cars into mainstream and premium as that tends to better reflect how real-world car buyers look for their next vehicle. The badge, price tag (or monthly payments) and feature list tend to be more important than the body style, although customers are overwhelmingly choosing SUV-style cars instead of conventional hatchback/saloon/estate models – even if they’re no more practical and no more spacious (and have limited off-roading capabilities).
This was one of the more controversial categories, as the winning car comes from a brand that wouldn’t normally be considered ‘premium’. But looking at price, quality and features, it was a better fit here than in the mainstream large car category.
The eligible cars this year were:
Our awards recognise both the best new models launched over the last 12 months and the best overall cars in each category – because newest doesn’t always mean best.
Best new large car: Kia EV9 (80%)
It’s telling that the best premium large car winner doesn’t carry an old-school European badge. The EV9 puts Kia firmly into luxury SUV territory, and it’s a revelation. Not only does the Kia EV9 sit shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the biggest names in the business very comfortably indeed, it puts them in the shade in many ways.
Clever design, strong build quality, loads of standard kit, acres of cabin and boot space, and a warranty that makes so-called ‘premium’ brands look stingy. Plus, it’s fully electric at a price that matches diesel and petrol models from other brands. Kia could charge another £10,000 for the EV9 and it would still be good value.
Class champion, electric: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo (91%)
The Porsche Taycan continues to be the benchmark for new electric vehicles according to motoring journalists all over the UK, and the Cross Turismo version is the pick of the range.
With stunning performance, impeccable build quality and all the creature comforts you’d expect from a £100K+ luxury car, the Taycan Cross Turismo is one of the best EVs (a lot of) money can buy.
Class champion, petrol/diesel/hybrid: Rolls-Royce Phantom (92%)
Calling a Rolls-Royce ‘premium’ is a bit like calling Buckingham Palace a ‘mansion’ – it just doesn’t quite convey the appropriate level of grandeur. Still, here we are.
The Phantom is, quite simply, the peak of almost every quality that one could want in a luxury car. Well, apart from running costs, but that’s unlikely to put off too many prospective customers. It even drives nicely, although that’s not likely to be of much interest to buyers, either, as they’re far more likely to be luxuriating in the rear seats while the chauffeur drives.