The 5 impressed the judges with its unique fusion of iconic style and cutting-edge electric technology.
In this instalment of Drive Time John reveals that the funky all-electric Renault 5 has won the Scottish Car of the Year title and takes a spin in the new Ford Ranger PHEV.
The Renault 5 has been crowned 2025 Scottish Car of the Year 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.
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.
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 in the 2025 Scottish Car of the Year Awards in association with Arnold Clark as the Renault 5 took home the Small Car title, 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 well-deserved 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 much adored Utility category, the Toyota Land Cruiser won over the judges.
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, added: “It is 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 is: 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. Aftersales – Suzuki. Best Newcomer – Jaecoo/Omoda. President’s Award – Jillian Snedden – Knockhill.
Meanwhile, the Ford Ranger is Britain’s favourite pick-up truck and now there is a new version that will be especially tempting to business users.
The Ford Ranger PHEV delivers lower emissions that will benefit business users by reducing the tax bill while still offering all of the talents that the standard diesel model can offer.
That will make it a smart choice while the new Stormtrak trim has some added visual appeal that will also draw customers in.
Emissions are now an important factor when it comes to business taxation, and the arrival of the new Ranger PHEV will make it the perfect double-cab pick-up for those keen to keep their tax bill as low as possible.
From the outside, not a lot looks different, although the new Stormtrak trim is exclusive to the PHEV model (it also comes in XLT and Wildtrak trims), Chill Grey is a cool blue hue that’s unique to the Stormtrak and black is also available while there are unique wheel designs to make the petrol-electric model stand out.
The Stormtrak also has the option of a sliding sports bar that allows racks to be attached above the cargo bed, while Ford’s Pro Power system allows users to connect any device with a three-pin plug to the truck’s drive battery.
Two filler flaps on the nearside rear wing are the main visual clues that the vehicle is a PHEV.
One pops open to reveal the charging port for the battery, while the other is the fuel filler and is released with the push of a button on the dashboard.
These are used to refill an 11.8kWh battery and a 70-litre fuel tank respectively, with the latter supplying fuel to the 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that we’ve seen in other UK Ford models.
The set-up in the Ranger PHEV produces 277bhp and 697Nm of torque, so the plug-in model is second only to the petrol Ranger Raptor for power, while Ford’s familiar 10-speed automatic gearbox is fitted as standard.
The 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds is impressive for such a big vehicle, while the Ranger PHEV also boasts a towing weight of 3.5 tonnes and a payload of more than a tonne, so there are no compromises there when compared with the diesel versions.
The load bed is slightly higher to cater for the battery, so cargo space is slightly reduced but not by much.
Most Ranger diesel owners face a tax bill of £7000 but opt for the low emission PHEV and this reduces to £4600 – substantial saving.
The PHEV drives and feels like any other automatic Ranger and the combination of electric motor and petrol engine is good, with the former delivering instant responses while the engine gets up to speed.
The petrol engine is quiet and the automatic box is good as are the brakes. The ride is also fine and no worse than some family SUVs.
The usual drive modes can be selected via the push-button controls down behind the drive selector, including an EV button that allows you to either drive the PHEV in standard hybrid mode – switching between power sources as the electronics see fit – switch to silent EV running, or save the charge for later or recharge the battery using the engine while on the move.
Like the rest of the Rangers this PHEV Stormtrak model is stylish, crammed with kit and has all the usual safety features, as well as being a good performer and it certainly makes very good sense for business users.
FAST FACTS:
Price: £49,800.
Mechanical: 277bhp 2.3-litre turbo petrol PHEV driving four wheels via 10-speed automatic gearbox.
Max speed: 105mph.
0-62mph: 9.2 seconds.
Combined mpg: 28 and 25 mile all-electric range.
Insurance group: 36.
CO2 emissions: 71g/km.
Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles.
BIK rating: 19 per cent.
Overall rating (out of five): 4.6.
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