Kia’s all-electric three-row SUV also took top honors in the Performance SUV, Mid-size CUV and Electric Vehicle categories

Living up to the “everything’s bigger in Texas” adage, the Kia EV9 three-row SUV was named “Electric Vehicle of Texas” at the 2024 Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Auto Roundup. In addition, Kia’s new flagship was deemed “Best in Class” in the Performance SUV, Mid-size CUV and Electric Vehicle categories by the attending TAWA members. 

The annual competition saw more than 20 TAWA automotive journalist members from across the U.S. converge for a two-day evaluation of the industry’s best trucks, SUVs and CUVs. TAWA journalist members who attended the event evaluated participating vehicles across a wide variety of criteria.

“The Kia EV9’s trophy case continues to grow and being named the ’Electric Vehicle of Texas’ from the 2024 TAWA Auto Roundup is further evidence that the first mainstream three-row EV SUV has wide appeal,” said Steven Center, CEO & EVP, Kia America. “Texans love their SUVs and the TAWA members are a discerning group who are well aware of that fact, which makes EV9’s recognition all the more significant for the Kia brand.”

After driving each vehicle on predetermined street courses, TAWA members voted on the top vehicles in a variety of categories. Journalists were encouraged to drive the vehicles as they would if they were simulating their own day-to-day driving conditions.

More information on the 2024 TAWA Auto Round-Up, including the full list of participating vehicles, can be found at www.texasautowriters.org.