Hyundai retains World Car of the Year title as Ioniq 6 takes top honours
Stylish new EV was crowned the winner at an event at the New York International Auto Show
Hyundai has won the World Car of the Year title for a second year in a row, with the firm’s new electric Ioniq 6 winning the overall award.
Last year it was Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 SUV that took the top prize, and now the Ioniq 6 has done the same. Crowned winner today at the New York International Auto Show, the awards are voted for by 100 automotive journalists from 32 countries.
It managed to fend off the Kia Niro and BMW X1 in the ‘final top three’ for the award, while also winning the World Car Design of the Year and World Electric Car awards too. Hyundai’s head of design Sangyup Lee was also recognised as World Car Person of the Year.
The Ioniq 6 is only the second model in Hyundai’s bespoke ‘Ioniq’ EV line-up, and arrives as a new saloon car. Nicknamed the ‘streamliner’ by its designers because of its aerodynamic shape, the model is set to arrive in UK dealers later this month with a 338-mile range and 350kW rapid charging capability that means a 10 to 80 per cent charge can take place in just 18 minutes.
Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of the Hyundai Motor Company, said: “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious honour two years in a row, which recognizes the tremendous talents and unrelenting efforts of everyone at Hyundai Motor Company to bring EVs like the Ioniq 6 to market.
“This honour reinforces our commitment to being a global leader in vehicle electrification and will serve to embolden our efforts as a smart mobility solutions provider.”
Elsewhere in the awards, the electric Kia EV6 GT was announced as the winner of World Performance Car, with the Citroen C3 taking World Urban Car. The Lucid Air – a luxury American EV rivalling the Tesla Model S – was also crowned World Luxury Car.
