The winners of the 2024 World Car Awards
Kia EV9 scoops overall title and best electric vehicle, with Toyota winning best design
The Kia EV9 has achieved a dual victory at the 2024 World Car Awards.
Revealed during a live announcement at the World Car Awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, the EV9 secured titles for both World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle.
Selected by a jury of 100 automotive journalists representing 29 countries, including TimesLIVE’s Brenwin Naidu, the World Car Awards recognised the Kia EV9’s innovative design, spacious seven-seat interior and competitive price point. Based on the E-GMP platform, the EV9 is the first Kia to feature fourth-generation battery technology for improved performance.
Established in 2003, the World Car Awards are renowned globally as a premier standard for automotive excellence. Before the 2024 event, Kia had already claimed three wins at the World Car Awards — the Telluride as World Car of the Year and the Soul EV as World Urban Car in 2020, along with the Kia EV6 GT taking World Performance Car of the Year in 2023.
Red Bull F1 designer Adrian Newey was voted the 2024 World Car Person of the Year. As chief technical officer of Red Bull Racing, the aerodynamicist is the designer and driving force behind the RB19, the most dominant race car in the history of Formula One.
In 2023, it won 21 of 22 races, enabling Red Bull’s sixth and Max Verstappen’s third world championships and establishing the design concept to be pursued by most of its competitors.
2024 World Car Awards category winners
World luxury car — BMW 5 Series