Earlier this year, the Kia EV9 was awarded the title of Best Car in the World by the Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY).
This accolade was recently presented by a delegation of WWCOTY jury members during their visit to Kia headquarters in South Korea.
In July, three esteemed WWCOTY jury members—Shereen Shabnam from the UAE, Nicole Wakelin from the USA and Sandy Myhre from New Zealand—travelled to South Korea to present the award.
The trophy was handed over to Mr Teckkoun Kim, Head of Kia Design Next Group, at the recent Busan International Mobility Show.
Expressing his gratitude, Mr Kim highlighted the importance of this recognition: “It gives another twist to customers when juries like yours recognise the EV9 because you are the experts and you know which EV or vehicle works for the consumer experience.”
During an extensive interview with Michael Choo of Kia Brand Communications, the jury members shed light on the factors that led to the Kia EV9's win.
Kiwi journalist Sandy Myhre provided a brief history of the WWCOTY awards and emphasized the rigorous voting process, noting that the EV9 emerged as the clear winner for 2024.
Shereen Shabnam elaborated on the unique design features of the EV9, such as the lowered hipline for improved visibility and the distinctive ‘star’ cluster headlights.
Nicole Wakelin focused on the innovative wheel design, highlighting how the sporty spoke pattern creates a fascinating geometric graphic.
The Kia EV9 is now available in New Zealand, starting at $105,990 (before on-road costs) for the base Light variant and $124,990 for the snazzy GT-Line model.
