The Two Automakers That Impressed Me Most In 2024

It was a busy year for the automotive industry with lots of ups and downs. Some brands didn’t fare so well, with Fisker going bankrupt and Nissan currently struggling to find a way forward. Other brands, however, had great success this year, producing impressive products with lots of appeal.

• Porsche

  Founded

  1948

  Founder

  Ferdinand Porsche

  Headquarters

  Stuttgart, Germany

  Owned By

  Volkswagen

  Current CEO

  Oliver Blume

• 

  Kia

  Founded

  June 9, 1944 (as Kyungsung Precision Industry)

  Founder

  Kim Cheol-ho

  Headquarters

  Seoul, South Korea

  Owned By

  Hyundai Motor Group

  Current CEO

  Ho Sung Song

Of the many automakers out there, there are two very different brands that stand out to me for what they achieved in 2024. One is a standout in the luxury segment while the other is more mainstream. Both not only had a strong 2024 but stand to continue their upward trajectory into the coming year.

Setting A Standard For Luxury and Performance

When you think of luxury performance cars, Porsche is often at the top of the list for good reason. It doesn’t just build vehicles. It crafts icons, including the likes of the 911 – arguably the best sports car in the world. Since its debut back in 1963, this car has garnered legions of fans. This year, Porsche announced the expansion of the lineup to include a new 911 Hybrid, which was a bold move. Messing with an icon is tricky territory.

Set to be a part of the 2025 model year lineup, this new version of the 911 has all the style, power, and handling that are synonymous with the 911 badge, but with a hybrid powertrain. Electrification is the future, even if it’s arriving more slowly than expected, and Porsche is embracing that future across its lineup.

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Moving Toward Electrification

Another highlight for Porsche this year was the Macan EV. It arrived this summer and proved itself a winner with sporty handling and a luxurious interior. This was one of my favorite cars of the year. It not only delivered that quintessential Porsche experience, but it did so without making the fact that it is electric a big deal.

Electric vehicles don’t drive like gas vehicles. There are differences, but done right, those differences don’t detract from the driving experience. The Macan EV still feels like a Porsche, which is a key part of its appeal. It doesn’t have the glorious sound of an engine or exhaust, but it still has heart and personality. This is tough to achieve, but Porsche pulled it off beautifully in the Macan EV.

An Update For The Cayenne

The Cayenne, although not all-new like the Macan EV, got a series of updates to ensure it keeps up with the times. The long list of changes includes new styling, updated powertrains, and improvements to standard safety and infotainment. Porsche also brought back the Cayenne GTS, which briefly disappeared from the lineup. Available as both an SUV and a sexy Coupe, these performance variants of the Cayenne are the stuff of driving dreams.

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Porsche’s success in 2024 was partly about selling amazing cars, but it was also about creating an experience. This is a brand with a sense of community, especially for cars like the 911, which have clubs and events that create a sense of belonging for owners. The exclusivity of Porsche and its loyal owners have created a legacy that other brands can only hope to achieve.

Mainstream Appeal

The last few years have been good for Kia, starting with the introduction of the EV6 electric crossover. It has great style, a solid range of standard features, and a wide assortment of trims that not only deliver good driving range, but also offer exhilarating performance.

The EV6 GT will make you wish you’d gone electric sooner with 576 horsepower and a 3.4-second 0-60 time. That’s a heck of a crossover. The starting price for the lineup is $42,600, not including $1,375 destination, which makes it a more affordable option despite its premium look and feel.

Affordable Pricing With Expensive Looks

That’s what makes Kia a standout. This is not a luxury brand. It’s very much mainstream, but its products look anything but downmarket. The exteriors are striking, especially the lighting and wheel designs. The Kia EV9 is a great example of the brand’s commitment to designing eye-catching vehicles that dare to be different rather than blending in with the crowd.

Inside, the story is the same. A Kia always looks like it should cost a bit more than it does, making it a fantastic value. Interiors are thoughtful with quality materials and features that make daily life easier and more comfortable. One standout feature is the Relaxation Comfort seat in the Carnival and EV9. It reclines way back and has a leg rest that turns it into something akin to a La-Z-Boy, and it is brilliant.

A Variety Of Powertrain Options

While the EV6 and EV9 are both strong electric options, Kia isn’t focusing solely on EVs. It offers a mix of powertrains with gas, electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrids all depending on the trim. The 2025 model year of the Carnival, for example, is adding a hybrid to make it more competitive, but the gas engine is still there for those who aren’t ready for electrification.

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The all-new Kia K4 is a gas-only compact sedan that offers a choice of responsive engines. It’s small, affordable, and incredibly fun to drive. It replaced the aging Forte with something far more modern with sporty styling and a roomy interior. First-time buyers with tight budgets won’t feel like they compromised with this one.

Kia’s strategy in 2024 was all about offering quality, innovation, and value. They cater to a broad audience by not just focusing on one aspect like price or performance, but by offering plenty of options. Their vehicles are packed with features once considered premium while keeping pricing under control.

Two Very Different Winning Strategies

Porsche and Kia are very different brands, but they are both leaders in their segments, in my opinion. Porsche continues moving toward electrification while staying true to its luxury and performance roots, and Kia proves that mainstream doesn’t have to mean mundane with a growing lineup of attractive, well-priced vehicles. Both are well-positioned for success in the coming years, and I can’t wait to see what the new year holds.

Sources
: Kia, Porsche