Kia EV9 Named to Car and Driver's 2024 10 Best Trucks and SUVs

[KIA EV9 Forum]

• All-new EV9 three-row EV SUV received honor in its first year on sale
• Telluride sets new benchmark with five consecutive titles since its introduction

IRVINE, CA, December 5, 2023 – The all-new 2024 Kia EV9 three-row EV SUV and the rugged yet sophisticated 2024 Telluride SUV have been named to Car and Driver’s 2024 10Best Trucks and SUVs. In earning this prestigious award for the fifth consecutive year, the Telluride has become a paragon of three-row SUV excellence and one of a few vehicles to be named a Car and Driver 10Best each year it has been on sale. The Telluride’s ongoing success has paved the way for its all-electric counterpart, the EV9, which celebrates this award in its first year on sale.

“We have harmoniously integrated the Telluride’s proven formula into the EV9’s innovative all-electric architecture, positioning it as a captivating EV option that’s poised to mirror the Telluride’s legacy of success” said Steven Center, COO & EVP, Kia America. “This is a momentous achievement and a testament to the extraordinary skill of our engineering, design, and product development teams.”

While the Telluride continues to be a head turning proposition for the 2024 model year, the all-new 2024 EV9 delivers highly sought-after features packed into one powerhouse EV SUV: a striking exterior design, rich interior appointments, generous interior volume for up to seven passengers, towing capability, leading vehicle dynamics, and DC fast charging capability. Available in Light, Wind, Land and GT-Line trim levels and offered in two battery sizes and rear-wheel drive or dual-motor AWD configurations, the EV9 is rated at an EPA-estimated all-electric range of 304 miles on the Light Long Range RWD1. Assembly of the EV9 is scheduled to move to the state-of-the-art Kia facility in West Point, Georgia in 2024.

“Kia did an excellent job designing the cabin for the EV9’s role as a family bus with lots of room and—in plusher trim levels—plentiful equipment,” said Car and Driver European Editor Mike Duff. “The EV9 GT-Line is also ridiculously fast for what it is, dispatching the 60-mph benchmark in just 4.5 seconds, 2.2 seconds ahead of the 291-hp Telluride.”

Car and Driver’s 10Best list represents a comprehensive look at the best vehicles on sale since it allows previous winners to compete to defend their spot. To be eligible, vehicles must be on sale in the month of January 2024 and have a starting price (including any federal tax and destination charges) under $110,000. Car and Driver editors drove more than 80 new cars, trucks, and SUVs over the course of two weeks before assigning each vehicle a score of zero to 100. Votes were then tallied and averaged to arrive at the 10Best of 2024.