The Kia EV9 took home the grand award of 2024 World Car of the Year while also bagging the 2024 World Electric Vehicle title. It bested the BYD Seal and Volvo EX30 in Car of the Year category, while it triumphed over the BMW i5 and Volvo EX30 in the electric vehicle group.
This is the second double win for Kia in the World Car Awards, the first being in 2020 when the Kia Telluride won Car of the Year and the Kia Soul EV won as the World Urban Car. The Kia EV6 GT was also awarded World Performance Car last year, making this year’s double-win the 4th and 5th for Kia in the World Car Awards’ 20-year history.
“We are hugely honored 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 of Kia.
The Kia EV9 was chosen from an initial pool of candidates from all over the world. They were judged by 100 distinguished automotive journalists from 29 countries before being narrowed down to the finalists.
Launched in 2023, the EV9 is Kia’s second battery-electric vehicle under the Electric Global Modular Platform and is their first 3-row EV. Prior to the 2024 World Car Awards, it has also won the iF Design Award Gold, 2024 Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year Award for SUVs, Best EV in 2024 Motorweek Driver’s Choice Awards, Best Electric 3-Row SUV from PARENTS Best Family Car Awards 2024, World’s Best Car from the 2024 Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year, and Research and Development Disruptor of the Year for 2024 Newsweek World’s Greatest Auto Disruptor Awards. All of that just in the first quarter of 2024.
In other markets, the EV9 is available in 2 trims – standard and long range, with up to 541 km of range. Locally though, only the EV6 is still available in the Philippines. There’s no word yet if we’re going to get this highly-praised EV9, or if Kia Philippines will go smaller and try with the EV5 first. We’ll have to wait and see if the success of the EV9 in other markets will change their minds.
