EVs Dominate 2024 World Car of the Year – Here are the Winners

EVs dominated the 2024 World Car of the Year competition with Kia’s EV9 taking overall honours in a sea of competition from Chinese brands. Here are the other victors from the annual competition.

Looking for your next new or used Volvo? Find it here with CARmag!

Hosted annually, with a jury comprising impartial automotive professionals from around the world (including South Africa), the 2024 World Car of the Year competition has concluded with a lineup of electrified vehicles taking the majority of trophies home. As a recap, vehicles eligible for World Car of the Year must be produced in volumes of at least 10 000 units/year, must be priced below the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2023 and March 30, 2024. All vehicles eligible for other World Car award categories are automatically eligible for World Car Design of the Year.

Volvo Reveals More About EX30 Line-up Before Local Launch

Unveiled during the live announcement at the 2024 World Car Awards ceremony held at the New York International Auto Show, it was the Kia EV9 which clinched the overall title. As a bonus to the World Car of the Year award, it also scooped the World Electric Vehicle award. Built on the E-GMP platform and available in several powertrain configurations, the EV9 marks Kia’s foray into electrification, with the large SUV incorporating the firm’s fourth-generation battery technology. This is Kia’s third victory at the prestigious awards which have been in existence since 2003 after the Telluride took the World Car of the Year title in 2020, the same year the Soul EV won the World Urban Car category. The EV9 also wins on the back of the EV6 GT earning World Performance Car of the Year in 2023 – remember, many supercars and hypercars are ineligible with the minimum production requirements annually.

The EV9 sits atop the podium while the Chinese-built BYD Seal and Volvo EX30 round the podium. Other finalists include the Ford Bronco, Hyundai Kona/Kona Electric, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-90, Subaru Crosstrek,