Kia EV6 Named North American Car of the Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Kia's electric vehicle EV6 has risen to the top position in the North American market, considered the most competitive battleground in the automotive industry.

On the 11th (local time), Kia announced that the EV6 was finally selected as the 'North American Utility Vehicle of the Year' (SUV category) at the '2023 North American Car of the Year' awards ceremony held at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, USA.

Kia has earned this honor again after three years since the Telluride was selected as the '2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year.' Notably, the EV6 was named the 2023 North American Car of the Year following its 2022 European Car of the Year award, making it a two-time winner among the world's three major Car of the Year awards.

The finalists for the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year included three models: Kia EV6, Genesis GV60, and Cadillac Lyriq. After a fierce competition, the EV6 was ultimately selected.

The judging panel described the EV6 as "a car that combines attractive design, astonishing performance showcased by the GT model, reasonable pricing, and an overwhelming single-charge driving range." They added, "Despite being a mainstream brand, Kia offers design and convenience features expected from luxury brands."

With the EV6 winning the 2023 North American Car of the Year, Korean automobiles have achieved the record of winning four times in the past five years. This marks the seventh time a Korean car has won the North American Car of the Year. Previous winners include the 2009 Hyundai Genesis sedan (BH), 2012 Hyundai Avante, 2019 Genesis G70 and Hyundai Kona, 2020 Kia Telluride, and 2021 Hyundai Avante.

This result proves that the three Korean automotive brands representing Korea (Kia, Hyundai, Genesis) have all firmly established themselves at the top in the North American market, the largest and most competitive global automotive market. The 'North American Car of the Year' is recognized as the industry's Oscar, holding the highest global prestige. This prestige is attributed to the fairness and reliability of the selection process.

The North American Car of the Year organizing committee was established in 1994 and has been selecting the best cars released each year for 29 years. Initially selecting the best cars in two categories?passenger cars and trucks?it added the utility vehicle category in 2017 as SUVs became a major trend in the automotive industry.

The jury selecting the Car of the Year consists of 50 experts working in automotive media, broadcasting, and newspapers in the United States and Canada.

The EV6 offers differentiated design and spacious interior space with a 2,900mm wheelbase, thanks to the dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP. It also features V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality, which supplies general power (220V) outside the vehicle, and an ultra-fast charging system that can charge the battery from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes.

Since local sales began in earnest in February last year, more than 19,000 units have been sold in the United States alone. Prior to winning the North American Car of the Year, the EV6 achieved remarkable success by sweeping prestigious automotive awards worldwide, including ▲2022 European Car of the Year ▲2022 Ireland Car of the Year ▲2022 What Car? Awards Car of the Year ▲2022 Germany Car of the Year Premium category 1st place ▲2022 Red Dot Award Best of the Best in Product Design ▲2022 iF Design Award Product category ▲2021 Top Gear Crossover of the Year ▲2021 Good Design Award in Transportation Design.

A Kia official said, "The sophisticated technology of the EV6, ranging from the Standard to the GT model, is attracting great attention from North American customers," adding, "Winning the North American Car of the Year confirms that the EV6 is not only the best SUV but also recognized as the standard for electric vehicles."

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