Renault 5 named Scottish Car of the Year 2025

It was given this accolade recently by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, in association with Arnold Clark, at a gala dinner at the Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, in Edinburgh, recently.

Renault’s latest take on the 5 impressed the judges with a unique fusion of iconic style and cutting-edge electric technology – which made it the second vehicle from the French carmaker to get this prestigious award in consecutive years.

Its design harks back to the original Renault 5 which had so many followers across the world. This retro-inspired design was backed with some stunning performance from the gutsy little electric power plant. Praised for its lively performance and effortless handling, it offers genuine fun behind the wheel, said the judging panel.

Compact and nimble it is 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.

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

Electrified cars continued to make their mark in the Scottish awards. As well as the Renault 5 progression to the top prize via winning the Small Car prize, the Jaecoo 7 claimed the best Family Car and Newcomer award, and the Kia EV3 lifted the trophy for Compact Crossover/SUV.

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

Used cars are tremendously important to the ASMW and drivers across Scotland. The under £18,000 trophy was won by the MG HS, while the over £18,000 was taken by the Hyundai Tucson.

The hotly contested Performance category was won by the amazing Alpine A290, so the Renault 5-based model gave the French brand a double victory. At the other end of the scale and going back to basics with the hotly contested Utility category, the latest Toyota Land Cruiser won over the judges, with the presentation for this coming from yours truly.

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 head of 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.”

The full list of SCOTY 2025 winners:

Small Car – Renault 5

Compact Crossover/SUV – Kia EV3

Family Car – Jaecoo 7

Large Car – Mazda CX-80

Premium/Executive Car – Genesis GV70

Performance Car – Alpine A290

Utility – Toyota Land Cruiser

Used Car Under £18,000 – MG HS

Used Car Over £18,000 – Hyundai Tucson

Aftersale – Suzuki

Best Newcomer – Jaecoo/Omoda

President’s Award – Jillian Shedden, of Knockhill Racing Circuit

The SCOTY Hall of Fame:

1998: Ford Focus

1999: Jaguar S-Type

2000: Audi A2

2001: Jaguar X-Type

2002: Mazda6

2003: Volvo XC90

2004: Peugeot 407

2005: BMW 3 Series

2006: Jaguar XK

2007: Ford Mondeo

2008: Ford Fiesta

2009: Land Rover Discovery 4

2010: Kia Sportage

2011: Range Rover Evoque

2012: Dacia Duster

2013: Volkswagen Golf

2014: Hyundai i10

2015: Vauxhall Astra

2016: Volvo V90

2017: Land Rover Discovery

2018: Jaguar I-Pace

2019: Mazda 3

2020: Ford Puma

2021: Skoda Enyaq

2022: Honda Civic

2023: Hyundai IONIQ 6

2024: Renault Scenic E-Tech

2025: Renault 5

Verdict: So what’s the winning car like to drive?

First impressions usually stick … so the first glance of the Renault in its fashionable Pop Yellow colour was an instant hit with me and admirers around the village.

It does have some immediate design accents which harken back to those busy little 5s of the 1970s – especially the Turbo version – but that doesn’t make it a dated look. Far from it.

Given the fact that this newbie is available from under £23,000 and you can see why this will act as a hook to catch a lot of younger motorists who will be drawn by the price and the funky looks.

It has plenty of room for four adults, though the ‘calf scoor’ colour of part of the seats was a little off-putting. As you would expect, its also packed with the most modern of gizmos like LED headlights, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and or Android Auto. It also features an energy saving heat pump and all the latest safety equipment – and a one-touch button to turn off all of those annoying beeps that come with the now mandatory EU driving aid systems.

It's an easy drive too. I haven’t had as much fun from a small car since driving the Mini (the BMW-owned version) – the steering was pretty nifty and the 148bhp version I tested could do the timed 0-62mph charge in under eight seconds. It featured the larger 52kWh battery which gives it a range of almost 250 miles, but in the real world of EV motoring in Scotland I wouldn’t bank on any more than 190-200 miles per charge.

A fast charger can also take it from 15% battery level to 80% in just 30 minutes, while a typical home-charging unit will do the same in five hours, or even more overnight.

The other power option is a 40kWh battery set-up which delivers 121bhp and has a range of 190 miles, or 150-160 miles in actuality, so that’s not one for doing long motorway drives in, though it’s ideal for scooting about town in

The 5 E-Tech model as tested cost a fiver under £29k though the special yellow paint with black highlights added £1200 on top for the striking yellow and black two-tone paint job. Great wee car for around towns and cities, but it won’t have the range to make it worth a look by more rural users who need a bit of range.