Kia Wins World Car Of The Year Again For Creating A Smaller EV9

There are a lot of new cars released every year, especially once you consider mid-cycle updates, new trims, new special editions, and so on. For a panel of nearly 100 people to conclude one a winner apparently takes style, innovative technology, and maybe a bit of character, all apparently offered by the Kia EV3 electric compact SUV, which just won the World Car Of The Year award.

This comes after the EV9 won last year’s award.

It’s Not Sold In America – Yet

The Kia EV3 has so far been announced with two battery setups, either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh pack. Both versions get a single electric motor mounted on the front axle and are good for 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque. Based on the Euro WLTP test cycle, it could be good for more than 340 miles of range.

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The Kia EV3 GT-Line Looks HOT But You Can’t Have One Yet

Here’s a better look at the US-bound EV3 wearing a color allegedly reserved for markets outside Korea.

It’s possible an EV3 GT trim comes later with more power and potentially all-wheel drive. It’s still not clear if or when Kia plans to bring the EV3 stateside. The brand already offers the EV6 with various power outputs and ranges, which the EV3 could eat into, which Kia may not want.

Then again, the reasons the EV3 won may be good enough for buyers here in America, assuming that tariffs and other pricing fluctuations keep it competitive. In the U.K., it starts at £33,000, or a little less than $44,000 at current exchange rates.

Kia’s EV Strategy Seems To Be Working

The World Car Awards announcement touted the EV3 as essentially a baby version of the brand’s three-row EV9 electric SUV, in terms of style and character. From the World Car Awards release: “The EV3 brings the cutting-edge innovation of Kia’s flagship EV9 to a wider audience than ever before, setting new standards in the compact electric vehicle (EV) SUV segment. The EV3 boasts a bold, progressive exterior and an innovative, practical interior that maximizes space, functionality, and comfort.”

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The whole point of launching a more expensive and more capable vehicle first is to allow later, more affordable, and slightly less high-tech models to eventually arrive, and in this case, it seems to have worked brilliantly.

While we don’t have access to the EV3 at this point, we do at least have the newly unveiled K4, and it appears to be just as impressive, despite not being an EV.