What's all this about?

Remember we told you about the UK Car of the Year (UKCotY) shortlist last week? Well, now we know our winner. And it's the mighty Kia EV9 seven-seat electric SUV which deservedly walks away with the grand prize.

Ah, so not the Honda Civic Type R, then?

Be quiet.

Sore point, I see. Did it even come on the podium?

No, it did not. Harrumph. Anyway, as we predicted last week, our fellow judges understandably went for a strong electric vehicle (EV) theme. In a great result for South Korea, it locked out a one-two finish as the sleek Hyundai Ioniq 6 was the runner-up, with the swish Volvo EX30 coming in third for a totally zero-emission top three. The result isn't as close as it looks, though, as nearly half of the 30 judges picked the EV9 as their fave.

But not you, obviously. What did the panel say?

John Challen, one of the co-chairmen of the UKCotY process, said: "The uber-practical Kia EV9 could be the vehicle that gets more drivers out of their petrol or diesel car than any other model. Seven seats, loaded with technology, premium quality and enough miles from the battery to cure almost every case of range anxiety - plus it's fantastic to drive, too. The fact that nearly half of our judging panel chose the Kia as the UK Car of the Year 2024 is a massive vote of confidence in what is a seriously impressive and hugely appealing car."

Fellow UKCotY director, Alisdair Suttie, added: "The Kia EV9 is simply a superb family car thanks to seven seats as standard and a cabin that's packed with equipment. There's no need to look beyond the entry-point model as it's so generous with kit, comfort and, importantly, driving range. It does it all and does it brilliantly."

OK, presumably Kia is delighted with this accolade?

Oh, for sure. Paul Philpott, the president and CEO of Kia UK, took delivery of the winner's trophy and said: "It is a huge honour for Kia UK to be awarded a category win as well as the title of UK Car of the Year 2024 at this year's UK Car of the Year Awards. We're delighted that the judges agree just how impressive the EV9 is. The recognition is made all the more significant, having been judged by some of the UK's most influential and respected journalists from across automotive, business and technology industries. We are grateful to the judges for their hard work appraising this year's contenders."