Another year and another Kia bags the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year award. Seventy five female motoring journalists from 52 countries voted for the Kia EV9, and the winner was announced on International Women’s Day. In order to elect a winner, the jurors, including Autocar India’s Renuka Kirpalani, consulting editor (video), carefully tested and evaluated 63 cars. Among these contenders, only five vehicles reached the final, each winning in their own distinctive categories.
Renuka Kirpalani said, “This is the second year in a row that Kia is walking away with the top honour at the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year. The EV9 changed the game in the segment pushing the envelope on design and engineering. Cool features like the 180-degree rotating seats that offer a lounge-like experience add wow factor. Spacious and versatile, the EV9 also drives really well. Once again, Kia has delivered a hard to fault package.”
What’s to note is that the Kia EV9 also won in the Best Urban Car category. Here is a detailed view of the top five winners in their respective categories. Notably, one of the listed winners – the Aston Martin DB12 – is already available on sale in India, while the Kia EV9 and BMW 5 Series are set to make their India debut later this year.
| WWCOTY category winners | |
|---|---|
| Category | Winner |
| Family Car | Volvo EX30 |
| Large Car | BMW Series 5 |
| SUV | Kia EV9 |
| 4X4 Pick-up | Volkswagen Amarok |
| Exclusive Car | Aston Martin DB12 |
2024 Women’s Worldwide Car of the year: about the Kia EV9
Kia EV9, an all-electric SUV, was first showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo. The EV9 gets bold styling cues defined by a two-box design created by ex-BMW stylist, Karim Habib. It features a three-row cabin and also has multiple seating layouts, depending on the variant.
The EV9 comes with three powertrain options, including a base RWD variant with a 76.1kWh battery and a mid-spec RWD long-range variant. The range-topping EV9 gets two electric motors, but the brand is yet to reveal its range figures. Additionally, the Kia EV9 is capable of both bi-directional and ultra-fast charging capabilities. It rivals the likes of Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX and the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
2024 Women’s Worldwide Car of the year: how was the winner chosen?
According to the official statement from the WWCOTY group, the cars were evaluated based on multiple criteria including safety, driving, comfort, technology, efficiency, environmental impact and value for money. A total of 63 contenders were considered across various categories set by the WWCOTY committee. To qualify, each vehicle had to be launched in at least two continents between January 1 and December 2023.
The voting process was authenticated by Grant Thronton, operating from the Auckland, New Zealand office. Grant Thronton has been responsible for verifying the results of the Women’s Car of the Year Awards since its establishment in 2009. The Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year distinguishes itself as the sole awards organisation worldwide composed of just women motoring journalists. The organisation was founded by a New Zealand-based motoring journalist, Sandy Myhre, while Marta Garcia is the executive president.
Kia India
Kia Motors made its entry into the Indian Automotive space in 2019 with the launch of the Kia Seltos. Presently, the Korean carmaker sells the Sonet and Seltos SUVs, Carens MPV and the all-electric EV6. A new Carnival MPV is expected to come later this year. Kia has already committed an investment of Rs 2,000 crore towards R&D, infrastructure development and manufacturing of EVs in India. As already mentioned, the EV9 too is slated to launch in India this year as a full import. In addition to this, Kia plans on introducing two locally manufactured EVs by 2025. Furthermore, Kia is working on a new compact SUV codenamed AY that's also set to launch in 2025.
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