Kia achieved a triple crown at Germany's most prestigious automotive award. This marks the first such achievement by a non-European brand.
Kia announced that it became the first non-European brand to win a triple crown at the '2026 Golden Steering Wheel Award,' jointly hosted by German automotive specialist magazine Auto Bild and weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag, on the 10th (local time).
The Golden Steering Wheel Award, which began in 1976, is Germany's most prestigious automotive prize. This year, the editorial teams of the two publications selected 90 new vehicles as candidates, and through reader voting, determined a total of 27 final candidates, with three models each across nine vehicle classes.
First, Kia's EV5 took first place in the 'Compact SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle)' category, surpassing the Audi Q3 and Cupra Formento VZ5. The K4 Sports Wagon defeated the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo and Cupra Born in the 'Compact Class' category. The global B-segment EV2 won the 'Best Car Under 30,000 Euros' category, where the editorial team selected the winning vehicle by evaluating price, specifications, warranty, optional features, driving experience, and other factors based on the German market.
Song Ho-sung, President and CEO of Kia, said, "It is meaningful to be recognized for the product competitiveness of Kia's model lineup and our efforts to provide customers with valuable options."
Robin Honeck, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Bild, stated, "Kia has demonstrated that it offers top-tier products across various categories by securing a lead in three vehicle classes and price ranges with its pure electric vehicles and gasoline models."
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