Hyundai Ioniq 9 Wins Best SUV at Women's World Car of the Year

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 14 January 2026

• Hyundai Ioniq 9 wins the Best Large SUV title in the 2026 Women’s World Car of the Year Awards
• The car is a large all-electric SUV produced by Hyundai Motor Company
• This was announced as part of the Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) Awards

At the 2026 Women's World Car of the Year Awards, the Best Large SUV award was won by the Hyundai Motor Company's Hyundai Ioniq 9, which comes under the category of large SUVs and is an all-electric SUV.

As reported in the news release issued by the Hyundai Motor Company on January 14, this represents the second consecutive year for the company to have the WWCOTY award within the same segment following the honor given to the Hyundai Santa Fe in the previous model year, the 2025 model.

The WWCOTY awards program is an international competition that is based on the votes of 84 female automotive journalists from 54 countries around the world on all five major continents.

Vehicles that entered the competition this year have been evaluated on various criteria, including safety, quality, design, performance, driving comfort, environmental friendliness, and value for money.

In 2025, there were over 55 vehicles that met the criteria to be among the finalists for the 2026 WWCOTY award, entered into six different categories, from more than two continents and from over 40 countries.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 won in recognition of its design with a focus on passengers, spacious interior, and a range of over 500 km on a single charge. The winners in each category will then be competing for WWCOTY's Best Car of the Year accolade, with results due out in March.

Marta Garcia, jury chair of the WWCOTY, said of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 that it “shows that technology and usability have been successfully merged in this model through fast and efficient charging, spacious interior, and excellent quality, which serves as a benchmark for large electric SUVs.”