The Kia EV9 is the big winner at the 2024 World Car of the Year awards, achieving two mega wins. Revealed during a live announcement at the World Car Awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 27, the EV9 secured the titles for both the World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle.
Selected by a jury of 100 distinguished automotive journalists representing 29 countries which included Hormazd Sorabjee, editor, Autocar India, and Renuka Kirpalani, consulting video editor, Autocar India, the World Car Awards recognised the Kia EV9’s innovative design, spacious seven-seat interior, and competitive price point. Based on the E-GMP platform, the EV9 is the first Kia to feature fourth-generation battery technology for improved performance.
In the overall World Car of the Year category, the EV9 was chosen from an initial entry list of 38 vehicles from all over the world, then a shortlist of three finalists – the BYD Seal, the Kia EV9 and the Volvo EX30.
The Kia EV9’s spacious and flexible seven-seat interior was among the winning points for the jury of the 2024 World Car Awards.
Vehicles eligible for World Car of the Year must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units/year, must be priced below the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be ‘on-sale’ in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents at some time within the period January 1, 2023 and March 30, 2024.
Two wins in the World Car Awards add to an already impressive haul of accolades for the Kia EV9. Since its introduction as Kia’s first dedicated three-row EV SUV, the EV9 has collected a number of prizes, including winning ‘Family Car of the Year’ at the 2023 TopGear.com Awards, overall ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium Electric Car’ at the 2024 DrivingElectric Awards; and most recently being named ‘UK Car of the Year 2024’ by a panel of 30 of the UK’s top automotive, business, and tech-focussed journalists.
“We are hugely honoured that the 2024 EV9 has been named the World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle. This triumph is a testament to our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and design excellence. The Kia EV9’s continued success will drive us to keep delivering exceptional vehicles that redefine the driving experience for customers around the world,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO at Kia.
“EV9 is a clear representation of Kia’s vision, and further evidence of our dedication to quality. This award cements Kia’s standing as the frontrunner in sustainable mobility solutions that go beyond conventional automobiles. We share this honor with our global teams who contributed their utmost efforts to drive EV9’s success,” said Sean Yoon, President and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America.
The double win brings the total number of awards won by Kia to five in the World Car Awards’ 20- year history. In 2023, the Kia EV6 GT won the World Performance Car title while in 2020 Kia was the recipient of two awards. The Kia Telluride was the overall 2020 World Car of the Year winner and the Kia Soul EV won the World Urban Car category.
Established in 2003, the World Car Awards are renowned globally as a premier standard for automotive excellence and leadership, celebrating remarkable accomplishments within a rapidly changing automotive industry. Prior to the 2024 event, Kia had already claimed three wins at the World Car Awards – the Telluride as World Car of the Year and the Soul EV as World Urban Car in 2020, along with the Kia EV6 GT taking World Performance Car of the Year in 2023.
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