The new Kia flagship EV9 has continued its awards success with a Golden Steering Wheel 2023 win in the ‘Family Cars’ category. The all-electric seven-seater SUV was also named ‘German Luxury Car of the Year 2024’ at the beginning of September.
“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,” said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President, and Head of Kia Global Design. “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.”
Launched in 1976, and presented by AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG, the Golden Steering Wheel Awards combine a public vote with expert review and are recognized as the most important prize in the German automotive industry. A total of 57 new cars were nominated by the two editorial teams this year, before readers selected the 21 finalists.
A prominent 19-member jury put the finalists through extensive testing at the DEKRA Lausitzring race circuit. This year, for the first time, the jury revealed the result of two tests in advance in their final assessments: DEKRA analyzed the finalists’ driver assistance systems, while the editorial team at Computer Bild evaluated the finalists’ competence in connectivity.
