Coinciding with International Women's Day, the Women's World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) winner has just been announced, and it is none other than the Kia EV9.
The Korean brand's electric crossover already won the Women's World Car of the Year' Best SUV' category, and to nail the top spot, it left the Aston Martin DB12 (Best Exclusive Car), Volkswagen Amarok (Best 4x4 & Pickup), BMW 5 Series (Best Large Car) and Volvo EX30 (Best Family Car) in its shadow.
In total, the Kia EV9 also beat 62 contenders, thus becoming the 2024 Women's World Car of the Year subsequent to being voted by the 75 women motoring journalists from 52 nations. "The car is reliably predictable, always doing exactly what you ask of it," said Rowan Peperkamp from The Netherlands. "Sometimes I even forget about the extra seating rows behind me, and I think Kia deserves credit for that."
Besides becoming the 2024 Women's World Car of the Year, the Kia EV9 has also won other awards, including the 2024 UK Car of the Year. It is also a 2024 World Car of the Year finalist, alongside the BYD Seal/Atto 4 and Volvo EX90.
Photo: WWCOTY
On top of that, the Kia EV9 is a finalist in the World Electric Vehicle category, too, next to the BMW i5 and Volvo EX30, and failed to become the 2024 European Car of the Year, as the gold medal went to the new Renault Scenic, with the podium being completed by the BMW 5 Series and Peugeot E-3008 (the EV9 came fourth).
In production since 2023, the Kia EV9 comes to life in Korea at the Gwangmyeong factory. It has a 122-inch (3,100 mm) long wheelbase, measures over 197 inches (5+ meters) in length, and builds on the E-GMP platform. This architecture is also the foundation stone of the EV5 and EV6, as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Genesis GV60.
In our market, the Korean automaker offers it in multiple trim levels. The lineup kicks off from $54,900 with the Light RWD, which has an EPA-estimated driving range of 230 miles (370 km) and a 76.1 kWh battery, as well as numerous standard features. The Light Long Range RWD carries an MSRP of $59,200. It brings a 99.8 kWh battery pack, has an EPA-estimated range of 304 miles (489 km), and adds extra gear.
The most affordable all-wheel-drive model is the Wind. It starts at $63,900, enjoys 379 horsepower (384 ps/283 kW) combined, and can travel for up to 280 miles (451 km) on a full charge. The Land AWD is next, boasting more gear and having an identical range to the Wind AWD, in return for $69,900. The GT-Line AWD tops the family with its $73,900 MSRP and has a 270-mile (435-km) autonomy.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News