Ioniq 5 Named World Car of the Year... Surpasses Mercedes-Benz and Audi

Grand Prize at 2022 World Car Awards
Kia EV6 Named 2022 European Car of the Year
Hyundai and Kia Win 2 of the 3 Major Car of the Year Awards

Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Jang Jae-hoon, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Hyundai Motor's first dedicated electric vehicle, the Ioniq 5, won the 'World Car of the Year' award at the 2022 World Car Awards (WCA). Earlier in February, Kia's EV6 received the European Car of the Year award, meaning Hyundai Motor Group took home two of the three major global Car of the Year awards.

According to the company, on the 13th (local time), the Ioniq 5 received not only the WCA World Car of the Year but also the '2022 World Electric Car of the Year' and '2022 World Car Design of the Year' awards. It swept three out of the six categories in the automotive division.

Previously, at the same awards in 2020, Kia Telluride and Soul EV won the '2020 World Car of the Year' and '2020 World Urban Car' awards, respectively. The WCA is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and was launched in 2004. The judging panel consists of 102 automotive journalists from 33 countries worldwide, including Korea, the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and India, who vote secretly. Along with the European Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year, it is considered one of the three major automotive awards.

Jang Jae-hoon, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company (left), and Jens Meiners, Chairman of the World Car Awards, are posing for a commemorative photo after the World Car of the Year trophy presentation ceremony on the 13th (local time).

This year, 27 models were nominated. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, Kia’s EV6, and Ford’s Mustang Mach-E competed as the final three candidates. This was the first time that only electric vehicles were shortlisted for the top award, Car of the Year. In the Electric Car of the Year category, the Ioniq 5 competed against Audi’s e-tron GT and Mercedes-Benz’s EQS, and in the Design of the Year category, it competed with Kia EV6 and Audi e-tron GT to win the award. The World Luxury Car award went to the Mercedes-Benz EQS, the Urban Car category was won by the Toyota Yaris Cross, and the High-Performance Car category was awarded to the Audi e-tron GT.

The judging panel commented on the Ioniq 5, "With a retro yet futuristic design and a well-balanced flexible interior space, it has solidified its position in the global electric vehicle market and established itself as Hyundai’s perfect flagship model."

Jang Jae-hoon, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said, "This award is the result of the tireless efforts of all employees and partners," adding, "this recognition will bring us one step closer to fulfilling Hyundai Motor’s vision of 'Progress for Humanity.'"

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the first dedicated electric vehicle developed based on Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated electric vehicle platform, E-GMP. It has received high praise domestically and internationally for its spacious interior, Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function that can supply power outside the vehicle, and ultra-fast charging system.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

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