The EV9 stands out with its future-oriented design reflecting Kia’s “Opposites United” philosophy, advanced electrification performance thanks to a large 99.8kWh battery pack, and cutting-edge features like wireless software updates (OTA).
SEOUL, Mar. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – Kia’s large electric sport utility vehicle (SUV), the EV9, emerged as the Car of the Year at the 2024 World Car Awards (WCA) held on March 27 during the New York International Auto Show. The EV9 also claimed the title of World Electric Vehicle of the Year.
Hyundai Motor Company’s Ioniq 5 N also triumphed as the World Performance Car of the Year, making the Hyundai Motor Group a triple crown winner at this year’s WCA.
The Hyundai Motor Group has now received the top World Car of the Year honor four times in five years, following wins for the Telluride in 2020, the Ioniq 5 in 2022, and the Ioniq 6 in 2023.
Notably, from 2022 to the present, vehicles built on the group’s dedicated electric vehicle platform, E-GMP, have captured the World Car of the Year award for three consecutive years.
The EV9 stands out with its future-oriented design reflecting Kia’s “Opposites United” philosophy, advanced electrification performance thanks to a large 99.8kWh battery pack, and cutting-edge features like wireless software updates (OTA).
In the final round of the Car of the Year category, which had 38 models as initial candidates, the EV9 emerged victorious, beating out contenders like Volvo’s EX30 and BYD’s Seal.
Hyundai Motor Company’s Ioniq 5 N also triumphed as the World Performance Car of the Year, making the Hyundai Motor Group a triple crown winner at this year’s WCA.
After being named the 2024 North American Car of the Year in January, the EV9 has now secured two of the three major global automotive awards by winning the World Car of the Year title. The remaining award is the European Car of the Year.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N also took home the World Performance Car of the Year award, marking three consecutive years of the Hyundai Motor Group’s Ioniq brand winning at the World Car Awards, starting in 2022.
The Ioniq 5 N is Hyundai’s first high-performance electric vehicle under the N brand, boasting advanced driving capabilities through its high-performance all-wheel-drive system, a powerful 84.0kWh battery pack, and an electric vehicle-specific thermal management control system.
Established in 2004 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the World Car Awards employ a jury of 100 automotive journalists from 32 countries worldwide, including South Korea, the United States, Europe, and China, who vote anonymously to select the winners.
In the other categories, the BMW 5 Series (including the i5) claimed the Luxury Car of the Year title, while the Volvo EX30 won the Urban Car of the Year award. The Toyota Prius received the Car Design of the Year honor.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
