Kia Niro has been named as the Women’s World Car of the Year 2023 by a panel of 63 women motoring journalists from 43 countries across five continents. The announcement was made on International Women’s Day, highlighting the significance of the link between the automobile and personal autonomy for women.

The Kia Niro has won the prestigious Women’s World Car of the Year award for 2023, selected from a list of 59 candidates tested and evaluated by 63 motoring journalists from 43 countries. The selection process was conducted in two rounds, with the finalists from each category evaluated in the second round.

The winners in each category from the first round of voting were as follows: Kia Niro for Best Urban Car, Jeep Avenger for Best Family SUV, Citroën C5 X for Best Large Car, Nissan X-Trail for Best Large SUV, Audi RS 3 for Best Performance Car, and Ford Ranger for Best 4x4.

Marta Garcia, the executive president of Women’s World Car of the Year, expressed the difficulty in selecting a winner, saying, “This year’s election was particularly difficult due to the excellent level of all the candidates. Each of the finalists had sufficient merit to win the trophy.”

The Kia Niro follows the Peugeot 308, Land Rover Defender, and Mazda 3, who won the award in 2022, 2021, and 2020 respectively. Previous winners include Volvo XC40 in 2018, Hyundai Ioniq in 2017, Jaguar F-Pace in 2016, Volvo XC90 in 2015, Mercedes-Benz S-Class in 2014, Ford Fiesta in 2013, Range Rover Evoque in 2012, and BMW 5 Series and Citroen DS3 (tie) in 2011.

Source: WCOTY