The Kia EV9 Wins Title of Family Car during Golden Steering Wheel 2023
As the year comes closer to an end, we’re going to see more and more awards and competitions also ending. More “best of lists”, more “best car of the year”, and more best of everything – the results are in. Last week, we talked about the 2023 Newsweek Autos Awards and how eight models by Kia took home a winning title for their car segment. This week, Golden Steering Wheel 2023 concluded and named the new Kia flagship EV9 all-electric SUV as the winner in the “Family Cars” category.
“It is immensely gratifying to receive the Golden Steering Wheel Award. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Kia team…This latest recognition bears further testament to Kia’s determination to continue to lead the charge towards electrification, pioneering technology and innovation that redefines the automotive industry.” – Karim Habib, Executive Vice President, and Head of Kia Global Design
Time for a little credibility. The Golden Steering Wheel competition has been going on since 1976, presented by AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG. A total of 57 new cars were nominated this year, and winners are selected via a combination of public vote and expert review. Of the 57 cars two editorial teams picked, only 21 models will make the final cut. The finalists are then put through extensive testing at the DEKRA Lausitzring race circuit, operated by a prominent 19-member jury to make their final assessments. To ensure variety, the strong jury of experts included former Formula 1 drivers Ralf Schumacher and Hans-Joachim Stuck, rally driver Isolde Holderied, DTM champion Maximilian Götz, as well as other motorsports stars, models, and influencers, plus editors-in-chief at AUTO BILD and two leading British and Dutch car magazines, Auto Express and Auto Week.
Out of all the sedans, station wagons, coupes, SUVs, and hatchbacks, there are seven vehicle classes a model can win: “Small Cars”, “Compact Class”, “Mid-Size”, “Upper Mid-Size”, “Upper/Luxury Class”, “Sports Cars”, and “Family Cars”. Battery-electric vehicles are also included in the competition, but they are no longer judged separately to gasoline or diesel cars. This year, 2023 also marks a successive win for Kia at the 2023 Golden Steering Wheel Awards, having won three awards prior – Xceed for the compact crossover class in 2019, the Sorrento for the SUV class in 2020, and the Niro EV for compact SUVs in 2022.
The Kia EV9 won the Family Car Class for a number of reasons. Namely, its lounge-style cabin that comes with second row swivel seats making interacting with the third row easier than ever. Doting mothers who want to keep their eyes on the little ones at all times can spin around 90 degrees when opening the door or 180 degrees to interact with the third row. If there is no one in the third row and someone just needs to grab some luggage or a backpack, there is plenty of room for storage. Speaking of which, the towing capacity is crazy – an unrivaled 2.5 tons for the electric SUV segment.
To Kia EV9 also offers plenty of power. In rear-wheel drive, the SUV can generate 150 kW/204 HP and delivers an all-electric range of 350 miles. With all-wheel drive (AWD), the power comes out to 283 kW/385 HP with an AER of 318 for the base in AWD and 313 for the GT-Line. Recharging is also easy, thanks to 800V technology. In as little as 24 minutes, the 99.8-kWh battery can charge up to 80-percent. In just 15 minutes, consumers can expect 155 miles. That’s insane!
Looking for your next BEV? Find the new Kia EV9 at Miami Lakes Automall.