Genesis 'G90' Selected as 'Car of the Year' by the Automobile Journalists Association

Automobile Association Announces 'Car of the Year 2022'
'G90' Receives Excellent Scores Across All Evaluation Categories
Mercedes-Benz The New EQS Named Import Car of the Year

On the 27th, the Hyundai Motor Genesis G90 launch event is being held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Genesis's flagship sedan G90 has been honored as the '2022 Car of the Year' selected by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association.

On the 15th, the Automobile Association announced that the Genesis G90 was named the 2022 Car of the Year after scoring 84.07 points out of 100 in overall satisfaction in the final judging held on the 8th at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority's Automobile Safety Research Institute in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

The Genesis G90 received a high score of 9.64 out of 10 in the NVH (noise and vibration) category. It also scored 9.57 in instrument operation convenience, 9.44 in handling and driving feel, and 9.35 in acceleration performance, demonstrating consistently excellent scores across all evaluation categories.

The G90 combines a dignified interior and exterior design befitting a luxury sedan with advanced driving assistance technologies that reduce driving burdens for busy customers, as well as various technologies that add value to travel time. It has been praised for presenting a new direction for luxury vehicles.

The final judging for the 2022 Car of the Year saw fierce competition among 21 new models from 8 brands including Kia, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, SsangYong Motor, Audi, Genesis, Porsche, and Hyundai Motor Company.

The final evaluation used 10 assessment criteria from the perspectives of vehicle characteristics and consumer purchase intentions: ▲exterior design ▲interior and emotional quality ▲instrument operation convenience ▲handling and driving feel ▲acceleration performance ▲NVH performance ▲high-speed stability and braking performance ▲safety and convenience equipment ▲fuel efficiency and maintenance ▲vehicle price and purchase intention.

Additionally, the imported car of the year was awarded to the Mercedes-Benz 'The New EQS,' which scored 79.96 points out of 100 in overall satisfaction. The New EQS features innovative technologies for the electric mobility era, including a self-developed electric vehicle dedicated modular architecture and the next-generation AI infotainment system ‘MBUX Hyperscreen.’ It provides an advanced digital experience that satisfies both drivers and passengers.

In the innovation category, the Genesis 'GV60' was honored for its Face Connect technology. Face Connect recognizes the face to control the vehicle's doors and provides a driving environment tailored to the registered driver. Along with the fingerprint authentication system, it greatly enhances customer convenience by facilitating interaction between the driver and the vehicle. The GV60 was also named the SUV of the Year.

The Audi 'RS e-tron GT' won both the Design and Performance awards, earning a double crown. The design of the Audi RS e-tron GT embraces the classic Gran Turismo design principles of sportiness and comfort while pursuing sustainability important in electric mobility through optimized aerodynamic design. It is equipped with two powerful electric motors on the front and rear axles, delivering 598 kW (646 horsepower) and a strong torque of 84.7 kg.m.

The Green Car award went to the Kia EV6. The Kia EV6 is the first model in the EV series built on the dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP. It features interior and exterior designs embodying a new design philosophy, dynamic driving performance, eco-friendly materials reflecting a commitment to sustainability, a multi-charging system capable of 800V ultra-fast charging, and V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) technology conceptualized as a mobile energy storage.

In the utility category, the SsangYong Motor’s The New Rexton Sports & Khan was selected. The New Rexton Sports & Khan showcases powerful towing capacity based on a robust and sturdy design and a four-wheel-drive system that excels in both on- and off-road driving. Additionally, the open deck provides versatile space utilization, satisfying consumers who pursue a distinctive and dynamic lifestyle.

Lee Seung-yong, president of the Korea Automobile Journalists Association, said, “Despite the challenging judging conditions due to COVID-19, we conducted a fair and rigorous evaluation of new and facelifted models released over the past year.” He added, “In this evaluation, six out of eight award categories were won by electric vehicles, indicating the popularization and rapid market penetration of electrified models. Next year’s judging is expected to see a new paradigm shift centered on electric vehicles.”

Meanwhile, the ‘2021 Automotive Person’ awards ceremony and the ‘2022 Car of the Year’ awards ceremony were held together at the 2nd-floor convention hall of Sebitseom in Banpo, Seoul. The ceremony was attended by government officials and automotive industry representatives including Park Jin-gyu, 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Ryu Ik-hee, director of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority’s Automobile Safety Research Institute; Lim Han-gyu, vice chairman of the Korea Imported Automobile Association; Yoo Won-ha, vice president of Hyundai Motor Company; Johannes Schun, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Korea; as well as executive members and members of the journalists association.

The Korea Automobile Journalists Association was established in 2010 with the purpose of promoting the development of the automotive industry through the media, encouraging the establishment of a proper automotive culture, improving the qualifications of automotive journalists, and enhancing mutual exchange among members. It currently has about 200 journalists from 55 media outlets as members.

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