Kia EV9 Named UK Car of the Year 2024 – CleanTechnica

• Kia EV9 has been crowned “UK Car of the Year 2024”
• The EV9 also wins the “Large Crossover” category
• Awards voted for by a panel of 30 of the UK’s top journalists working across automotive, business and tech publications

The Kia EV9 has been named “UK Car of the Year 2024”. The Awards celebrate the best new vehicles available to UK customers today across eight categories.

The UK Car of the Year jury is made up of 30 journalists working across the UK on automotive, business and tech publications. Eligible cars for the awards must have been launched within the past 12 months.

In addition to winning the overall award, the EV9 secured victory in the hard-fought ‘Large Crossover’ category. Judges praised the EV9 for several factors; in particular its innate practicality, modern design, and long electric driving range.

“The uberpractical Kia EV9 could be the vehicle that gets more drivers out of their petrol or diesel car than any other model. Seven seats, loaded with technology, premium quality and enough miles from the battery to cure almost every case of range anxiety – plus it’s fantastic to drive, too,” said John Challen, co-chairman, UK Car of the Year Awards. “The fact that nearly half of our judging panel chose the Kia as the UK Car of the Year 2024 is a massive vote of confidence in what is a seriously impressive and hugely appealing car.”

“It looks great, has a lovely interior, is practical and the first car to combine ability to carry seven people with a genuine usable range,” judge Paul Barker, Managing Editor of Carwow added.

“The EV9 shows Kia’s seemingly limitless ambition knows no bounds. A great option for large families, featuring six or seven seats and plenty of flexibility to adapt to load-carrying requirements. But, also luxurious enough to lure drivers out of premium-brand SUVs,” Alex Grant, a fleet-focused journalist commented.

Tech journalist Rob Clymo said: “The EV9 makes total sense for anyone with people to move and it drives better than you’d expect, with a topping of great tech for good measure.”

Paul Philpott, President & CEO of Kia UK, commented on the win: “It is a huge honour for Kia UK to be awarded a category win and the overall ‘Car of the Year’ accolade in this year’s UK Car of the Year Awards. We’re delighted that the judges agree just how impressive the EV9 is. The recognition is made all the more significant, having been judged by some of the UK’s most influential and respected journalists from across automotive, business and technology industries. We are grateful to the judges for their hard work appraising this year’s contenders.

“This well-respected award also gives our 190-strong UK dealer network a boost, as it continues to support customers on their electrification journey and deliver them the UK’s best car.”

Recognition in the 2024 UK Car of the Year Awards is the latest in a string of early successes for the EV9. The car went on-sale in the UK in January 2024, and was already named a finalist for the 2024 European Car of the Year awards and as a top-three finalist for the 2024 World Car Awards, to be announced at the New York International Auto Show on 27 March 2024.

The Kia EV9 is one of the most versatile new EVs on sale, offering a choice of six- or seven-seat configurations; a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive powertrains; and three comprehensively equipped trim levels. The EV9 is priced from £65,025 on-the-road, offering an electric driving range of up to 349 miles (WLTP Combined)* from a single charge of its standard 99.8kWh battery, complete with ultra-fast charging capable of adding 154 miles in 15 minutes**. The EV9 also features Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard, ensuring maximum peace of mind for customers.

Notes to Editor

*The range was determined according to the standardised EU measurement procedure (WLTP). The individual driving style and other factors, such as speed, outside temperature, topography and the use of electricity-consuming devices/units, have an influence on the real-life range and can possibly reduce it.

** In order to achieve the maximum charging speed, EV9 must be charged at an 800V electric vehicle charger that delivers at least 210kW of electricity. The additionally added real-life range within 15 minutes depends on different factors including the current state of charge of the battery, battery temperature, exterior weather conditions and the charger used. It is also defined by the individual driving style and energy consumption.

Courtesy of Kia

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