On Nov. 10, 2026 Kia scored a rare triple at the 50th Golden Steering Wheel awards in Berlin, taking top honours for the K4 Sportswagon (compact class), the EV5 (compact SUV) and the EV2 (editorial award under €30,000). The ceremony, organised by AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG, was held at a gala attended by major industry chiefs and broadcast live in Germany.

How the wins link to Žilina production

The EV2 — which won the editorial award for best car under €30,000 — is a model that Kia says was developed specifically for Europe and is manufactured at the company’s Žilina plant in Slovakia. Series production of the EV2 in Žilina began in March 2026 after a modernisation programme completed in 2025, and the factory now builds EV and ICE/hybrid models on the same lines.

Kia’s corporate release quoted Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation, saying: “It is an honor for Kia to become the first non‑European brand to win three Golden Steering Wheel Awards in a single year in the 50‑year history of this prestigious award.” The company’s European communications added: “Three Golden Steering Wheel awards across three very different categories demonstrate the strength and variety of Kia’s product portfolio in Europe.”

Kia’s Žilina complex employs around 3,700 people and — after a more than €200m modernisation — produced roughly 300,000 vehicles and about 470,000 engines in 2025; the plant accounted for 9.3% of Kia’s global output, the company states. Those figures underline the scale of the Slovak operation that now carries European EV volume.

What this means for the market

For Central and Eastern Europe the awards matter beyond publicity. They put a spotlight on locally built, competitively priced EVs that can drive export volumes and dealer demand across the EU. The EV2’s recognition as Best Car under €30,000 validates a strategy of designing and pricing EVs specifically for the European mainstream — a segment that many OEMs aim to capture as subsidies fall and mass EV adoption rises.

Practically, the awards strengthen Žilina’s credentials as a hub for both EV and ICE production. That helps Kia when negotiating supplier contracts, logistics capacity and workforce recruitment in Slovakia — and it may make Žilina a more secure base for future model allocations and component sourcing in CEE. The prize exposure in Germany — Europe’s largest new‑car market — also supports retail demand for cars built in the region.

While awards are not sales guarantees, the combination of a European‑designed product (EV2), local volume capacity and positive industry recognition is a meaningful market signal for investors, suppliers and regional policymakers tracking automotive competitiveness in CEE.

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Sources: Kia Corporation (PR release/CNW), Axel Springer (AUTO BILD / BILD am SONNTAG), Kia Slovakia newsroom.