Kia EV9 crowned UK Car of the Year
The seven-seat Kia EV9 has been named as the 2024 UK Car of the Year!
In addition, the EV9 also claimed the prize for the 'Best Large Crossover'. The highly prestigious UK Car of the Year (UKCOTY) awards celebrate the best new vehicles available in the UK today.
The awards are decided by a jury of 30 expert journalists across the automotive, business and tech sectors. Eligibility for cars states that they must have been launched within the past 12 months.
The judging panel heaped praise on the game-changing Kia EV9 for several factors, including its innate practicality, modern design, and extensive electric driving range. The EV9 can travel up to 349 miles on a single charge!
John Challen is the co-chair of the UKCOTY. He said: “The uber-practical 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 cast of range anxiety - plus it's fantastic to drive too!”
He continued: “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.”
The flagship EV9 is Kia's first electric vehicle that features three rows of seats. The top GT-Line S trim level is available with both seven and six-seat configurations.
The powerful 99.8kWh battery can even add 154 miles of range in as little as 15 minutes with ultra fast charging.
Judge Paul Barker, Managing Editor of Carwow, commented: “It looks great, has a lovely interior, is practical and the first car to combine the ability to carry seven people with a genuine usable range.”
Tech journalist Rob Clymo added: “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!”
The EV9 had a huge buzz when it launched in 2023 and has since had the accolades to back up the hype. The EV9 is currently in the final three for the World Car of the Year. It's also been named 'Car of the Year' by Driving Electric and 'Family Car of the Year' by Top Gear.
Kia UK President and CEO, Paul Philpott, was present to accept the UK Car of the Year award. He said: “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 UKCOTY.
“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 the automotive, business and technology industries. We are grateful to the judges for their hard work appraising this year's contenders.”
As is standard with all their new electric cars, the award-winning EV9 comes with Kia's industry leading 7-year/100,000-mile warranty.
