Automotive Journalists Association, 2021 Car of the Year Final Judging... 21 Models from 10 Brands Compete

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Korea Automobile Journalists Association (KAJA) announced on the 28th that the final judging for the '2021 Car of the Year' will be held on the 18th of next month at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority's Automobile Safety Research Institute (KATRI) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

The final judging for the 2021 Car of the Year will be conducted on 21 new car models from 10 brands, including Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Chevrolet, Audi, Genesis, Porsche, and Hyundai, which ranked high in the first and second half evaluations.

The candidates for the 2021 Car of the Year, selecting the best car in South Korea, include 10 vehicles from 6 brands such as Kia Sorento, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Volvo S90, BMW 5 Series, X6, Genesis G70, G80, GV70, GV80, and Hyundai Avante, which have advanced to the final judging.

Reflecting the rapidly changing trends in the automobile market, the association newly established a utility category this year targeting vans, pickup trucks, and wagons in addition to sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Accordingly, the 2021 Car of the Year awards will be divided into eight categories: ▲Car of the Year ▲Domestic Car of the Year (or Imported Car) ▲Innovation of the Year (Innovation Technology Award) ▲SUV of the Year ▲Utility of the Year ▲Design of the Year ▲Performance of the Year ▲Green Car of the Year.

Ryu Jong-eun, chairman of the Car of the Year selection committee, said, "We conduct the Car of the Year judging every year for all new cars released domestically to promote the development of automobile technology through healthy competition among car manufacturers and to provide accurate product information to consumers." He added, "Considering the COVID-19 situation, we plan to conduct strict real-vehicle test drives and evaluations on high-speed circuits, steering performance roads, and special durability roads within the Automobile Safety Research Institute while thoroughly implementing quarantine and disinfection."

Meanwhile, the association plans to hold the 2021 Car of the Year and Automobile Person Awards ceremony on the 26th of next month, minimizing the number of attendees in consideration of the COVID-19 situation following the final judging.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.