Electric Vehicle Powerhouse: Hyundai and Kia’s Consistent Winning Streak in World Car of the Year Competition
The Hyundai Group has a long history of winning prestigious vehicle awards, especially in the electric vehicle category. In 2020, Kia took home multiple awards at the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) competition, including the overall title with the Telluride, World Performance Car with the EV6 GT, and World Urban Car with the Kia Soul EV. However, in 2021, the Hyundai Group did not win any awards.
This changed in 2022 when the Hyundai Ioniq 5 won several awards, including World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, and World Car Design of the Year. This was followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 winning these same awards in 2023.
Kia made a strong comeback in 2024 with its new EV9 winning both the WCOTY award and World Electric Vehicle titles. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N won World Performance Car title.
The panel of one hundred automotive journalists from 29 countries tested over thirty vehicles to determine these winners. To be eligible for entry into this competition, a car must have an annual production exceeding ten thousand units, be available in at least two major global markets and be priced lower than luxury options in their region. The EV9 beat out competitors like BYD Seal and Volvo EX30 to win this prestigious award.
In terms of electric vehicles, there were many competitors vying for recognition in this category in 2024. The EV9 faced off against thirty-two other cars and emerged victorious over rivals like BMW i5 and Volvo EX30. The BMW 5 Series and i5 took home honors as world luxury cars while EX30 won for world urban car award.
One of biggest surprises was Toyota Prius winning world car design of year award beating out seventy other entries including Ford Bronco and Ferrari Purosangue. Prius’s exceptional design made it stand out among others on this list making it a true testament to their dedication to innovation within their industry.
Overall, it is clear that both Hyundai and Kia are consistently producing high-quality vehicles that are highly sought after by consumers around the world.
