Kia CEO Ho Sung Song has been awarded with Autocar’s most prestigious honour, the Issigonis Trophy, in recognition of his hugely successful efforts to transform the Korean firm’s strategy, brand identity and model line-up.
The trophy, named for Mini inventor Sir Alec Issigonis, is presented annually at the Autocar Awards to an individual who has made a historically significant contribution to the industry.
When Song was named Kia’s CEO in 2020 the brand was already on the rise, but he still implemented a significant transformation of Kia, encompassing everything from its internal culture to its product line-up, As a result, Kia has achieved double-digit sales growth in key regions in the last five years, with an operating profit that is the envy of many mainstream rivals.
For full coverage of the 2025 Autocar Awards read this week’s magazine, which is available on newsstands, as a digital edition and on Apple News+.
Autocar has also recognised the pioneering achievements of British engineer Peter Rawlinson with the Sturmey Award, presented to resourceful, high-achieving innovators. During his long career Rawlinson worked at Tesla to develop the transformative Model S, and more recently has been CEO of Lucid Motors, whose ultra-efficient EVs have helped set new industry benchmarks.
The Outstanding Leader award went to Lawrence Stroll, after the main investor in Aston Martin had invested heavily in and transformed the fortunes of both the road car business and its associated Formula 1 team.
The Mundy Award for Engineering went to Philippe Krief for his achievements in his dual role as Renault Group’s chief technology officer and CEO of the fast-growing Alpine brand. The former Ferrari engineer is helping to pioneer the French firm’s new line-up of fun, agile and impressive machines, including both combustion and electric models.
McLaren Racing were named the winners of our Motorsport award, celebrating how the Woking-based squad ended a 26-year drought by winning last year’s Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
The Editors’ Award was given to Diane Miller, who led the transformation of Stellantis’s Ellesmere Port plant into an state-of-the-art electric van production facility, and is now running the firm’s huge new national parts distribution centre.
Fiat’s Francois Leboine won our Design Hero award for his team’s work on the cheerful, upbeat new Grande Panda, and in his previous job for the development of the Renault 5 concept.
The Innovation Award went to British firm Protean Electric, for its pioneering work in the field of in-wheel motors.
The McLaren Artura has come of age after some well-placed improvements, and proved its worth with a convincing victory in our contest to crown Britain’s Best Driver’s Car.
The Artura shone because it was a true mid-engined supercar that offered incredible versatility, making for a machine that would be as comfortable on a commute to the office as blasting round a test track.
The Alpine A290 is our Best Fun EV for showcasing that an electric car can offer fun, involved hot hatch handling at a reasonable cost, and without merely relying on ridiculous amounts of power and torque.
Three cars secured trophies for achieving an ultra-rate five-star verdict in the Autocar Road Test, which remains the most comprehensive and in-depth assessment in the industry. The Porsche 911 S/T, Skoda Superb Estate and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N were all celebrated for hitting the rarified air of ‘exceptional, unsurpassed, all but flawless’.
MG was named Best Manufacturer for its remarkable sales growth in recent years, and an ability to mix competitively priced mainstream models with ambitious statements of intent such as the new Cyberster.
Other cars recognised at the awards include the Dacia Duster (Best Value Car), Lamborghini Revuelto (Best Dream Car), Volkswagen Golf e-Hybrid (Best Hybrid), Fiat Grande Panda (Best Small Car), Kia EV3 (Best Electric Car) and the Land Rover Defender Octa (Best 4x4).
- Issigonis Trophy: Ho Sung Song
- Sturmey Award: Peter Rawlinson
- Editors' Award: Diane Miller
- Mundy Award: Phillipe Krief
- Design Hero: Francois Leboine
- Outstanding Leader: Lawrence Stroll
- Innovation Award: Protean Electric
- Five-star car: Porsche 911 S/T
- Five-star car: Skoda Superb Estate
- Five-star car: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
- Britain's Best Driver's Car: McLaren Artura
- Best Fun EV: Alpine A290
- Best Dream Car: Lamborghini Revuelto
- Best Value Car: Dacia Duster
- Best Hybrid: VW Golf eHybrid
- Best Electric Car: Kia EV3
- Best Small Car: Fiat Grande Panda / Fiat Grande Panda Electric
- Best 4x4: Land Rover Defender Octa
- Motorsport Award: McLaren Formula 1
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