Kia Wins Four What Car? Awards for SUVs, EVs, and PBV
Kia Corporation has earned four major accolades at the 2026 What Car? Awards, recognizing its Sportage, PV5 Passenger, EV3, and EV9 models.
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What Happened
Kia’s Sportage was named Family SUV of the Year for the fourth consecutive time, praised for balanced performance, practical interior, and continuous evolution. The PV5 Passenger, built on the E-GMP.S platform, won MPV of the Year for its flexible seating and intelligent functionality, marking a milestone for Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) entry.
The EV3 repeated as Small Electric SUV of the Year, commended for class-above space and everyday comfort. The EV9 won Best Electric Seven-Seat SUV, highlighted for true seven-seat usability, strong efficiency, and fast-charging capability. The awards are selected by expert road testers evaluating real-world usability, comfort, performance, efficiency, and value.
- Sportage: Family SUV of the Year (4th consecutive win)
- PV5 Passenger: MPV of the Year
- EV3: Small Electric SUV of the Year
- EV9: Best Electric Seven-Seat SUV
Why this matters
The awards highlight Kia’s competitiveness across family SUVs, electric vehicles, and its new PBV lineup, reinforcing the brand’s market position and customer-focused innovation.
Terms in This Story
- PBV
- Platform Beyond Vehicle – a modular electric vehicle platform designed for multiple purposes, such as passenger or cargo use.
- What Car? Awards
- Annual awards by UK magazine What Car? that recognize top vehicles based on expert road tests.
- V2L
- Vehicle-to-load – a feature allowing an electric vehicle to power external devices.
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