The Kia EV9 pulled off a double win at the 2024 World Car Awards — World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle of the Year — beating the Volvo EX30 and BYD Seal. Two years on, it’s still the benchmark three-row electric SUV, though the promised performance version is nowhere to be seen.
Why the EV9 won World Car of the Year
Announced in March 2024 at the New York Auto Show, the double win came down to three things judges kept circling back to: charging, packaging, and price. The EV9’s 800-volt E-GMP architecture supports 10-to-80 percent charging in under 25 minutes on a suitable fast charger — a key differentiator against slower-charging rivals in the segment. The platform’s flat floor allows genuinely usable adult seating in the third row, a rarity among three-row electric SUVs. And Kia resisted inflating the price to match the extra space, undercutting several two-row rivals from premium brands.
2026 Kia EV9 pricing and lineup
For 2026, the EV9 lineup starts at $56,545 in the US, with the range-topping GT-Line trim from $73,545. That keeps the EV9’s core value case intact: real third-row usability and 800-volt charging at a price where most premium competitors offer neither. Two model years after the award, no rival has matched that combination — most three-row electric SUVs that have arrived since either charge slower, package worse, or cost significantly more.
The missing EV9 GT
The one sour note is the EV9 GT. Kia announced the performance flagship with 501 horsepower and a claimed 0-60 of 4.3 seconds, but as of mid-2026 it still hasn’t reached showrooms, and the release remains indefinitely delayed. For buyers holding out for the fast one, there’s no confirmed date to circle — and for everyone else, the standard car’s award-winning formula of space, charging speed, and pricing discipline remains the reason the EV9 is still the three-row EV to beat.