The Kia EV9 has reached the pinnacle of the highly competitive North American automotive market.
On the 4th (local time), Kia announced that the EV9 has been selected as the ‘North American Utility Vehicle of the Year’ in the utility category (SUV category) at the 2024 North American Car of the Year awards ceremony held at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.
With this award for the EV9, Kia has proudly won the North American Car of the Year title three times in five years, following the Telluride in 2020 and the EV6 in 2023.
All of Kia’s award-winning models in the North American Car of the Year have been SUVs, solidifying its status as a global ‘SUV powerhouse’ in the continuously growing SUV market in the United States.
Additionally, the selection of the EV6 and EV9, both built on the dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP, as consecutive North American Car of the Year winners last year and this year further highlights Kia’s strong competitive edge in electric vehicle offerings.
In the SUV category for the 2024 North American Car of the Year, the Kia EV9, Hyundai Kona (including EV), and Genesis GV70 electrified model were finalists, with the EV9 ultimately being chosen as the winner after a fierce competition.
The judging panel of the North American Car of the Year praised the EV9 as “magnificent and bold in design while possessing innovative product value.”
With the EV9’s win, Korean automakers have achieved a remarkable record of five wins in the past six years for the North American Car of the Year. This marks the eighth time that a Korean vehicle has received this prestigious honor. Previous winners include the Hyundai Genesis sedan (BH) in 2009, Hyundai Avante in 2012, Genesis G70, Hyundai Kona in 2019, Kia Telluride in 2020, Hyundai Avante in 2021, and Kia EV6 in 2023.
This result indicates that all three major Korean automotive brands (Kia, Hyundai, Genesis) have reached the highest levels in the fiercely competitive North American market.
The ‘North American Car of the Year’ is recognized as the Oscars of the automotive industry, highlighting its prestigious standing. This high recognition stems from the fairness and reliability of its selection process.
The North American Car of the Year organizing committee was established in 1994 and has been selecting the best cars launched each year for 30 years. Initially selecting the top vehicles in the passenger and truck categories, it added a utility category in 2017 as SUVs became a significant trend in the automotive industry.
This year’s jury is composed of 50 experts working in automotive publications, broadcast media, and newspapers in the United States and Canada.
The EV9 is a large three-row SUV built on Kia’s dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP, featuring ample space for passengers, a variety of second-row seating options, a 99.8 kWh large-capacity battery, a 400/800V multi-rapid charging system, and V2L capabilities. It also boasts excellent product quality as a Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV), with features such as the Kia Connect Store and wireless software updates.
A Kia representative stated, “The EV9 is garnering significant attention from North American customers as a new paradigm for three-row large SUVs. This North American Car of the Year award recognizes the EV9 as the best SUV and a standard for electric vehicles, and we expect it to continue performing well.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr