Kia wins three top honors at Germany’s most prestigious car awards, first non-European brand to do so

[Financial News] Kia became the first non-European brand to win three awards at Germany’s most prestigious automotive awards ceremony. On the home turf of European automakers, Kia beat major rivals including Audi and Volkswagen, earning recognition for the quality of both its electric and internal-combustion vehicles. The win is expected to give fresh momentum to Kia’s push in Europe as it pursues electrification and model diversification at the same time.
Kia said on the 11th that it had won in three categories at the 2026 Golden Steering Wheel Awards, jointly organized on the 10th (local time) by German automotive magazine Auto Bild and weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag. Kia is the first non-European automaker to sweep three categories in a single year.
At this year’s awards, the Kia EV5 won in the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) category, the K4 Sportswagon in the compact-car category, and the Kia EV2 in the Best Car Under €30,000 category.
The Kia EV5 took first place in the compact SUV category, beating the Audi Q3 from German premium brand Audi and the Cupra Formentor VZ5. The K4 Sportswagon was also named the best vehicle in the compact-car category, ahead of the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo and Cupra Born.
The Kia EV2, a small electric SUV, won in the Best Car Under €30,000 category, which evaluates vehicles based on factors including price and specifications in the German market, warranty terms, optional equipment and driving experience. The result reflects the high marks European consumers and experts alike gave Kia’s broad lineup of electric and internal-combustion vehicles.
“It is an honor to be the first non-European brand to win in three categories in a single year at the prestigious Golden Steering Wheel Awards, which has a 50-year history,” Kia President Song Ho-sung said. “It is meaningful to have the competitiveness of Kia’s model lineup and our efforts to provide customers with valuable choices recognized.”
Established in 1976, the Golden Steering Wheel Awards are one of Germany’s leading automotive awards. This year, readers voted on 90 new cars, and 27 finalists were selected—three models in each of nine vehicle classes.
The final winners were chosen after a 23-member jury, including nine-time World Rally Championship (WRC) winner Sébastien Ogier and racing driver David Schumacher, tested the vehicles at the DEKRA Lausitzring circuit in Germany. Handling, ride comfort, ease of use and everyday practicality were among the main evaluation criteria.
“With its all-electric vehicles and gasoline models taking the lead in three categories spanning vehicle classes and price ranges, Kia has demonstrated that it offers top products across a variety of segments,” said Robin Hornig, editor-in-chief of Auto Bild.
Earlier, last August, the Kia EV5 also took first place overall in an SUV comparison test by German automotive magazine Auto Motor und Sport (AMS), beating the Tesla Model Y, China’s Xpeng G6 and the MGS6 EV.
The Kia EV2 also made the final shortlist for the 2027 European Car of the Year award last month. The winner is scheduled to be announced next January at the Brussels Motor Show in Belgium.
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter