Hyundai Exter, IONIQ 5 win India’s influential car awards

Hyundai Motor Co. has won major auto industry prizes in India that are expected to help the leading South Korean automaker expand its presence in the world’s third-largest car market.

The Hyundai Exter compact sport utility vehicle claimed the 2024 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) award, the country’s most prestigious automobile award, earlier this month, while its all-electric IONIQ 5 crossover secured the Green Car Award among ICOTY's 2024 categories.

“The award significantly influences local consumers’ decisions on [buying] new cars,” a Hyundai official said on Sunday.

Hyundai, maker of the Verna, or Accent, subcompact car, has won the ICOTY's top honor eight times since 2008, the most among automobile brands sold in India.

The awards jury, consisting of 18 Indian automotive journalists, selects the winner each year based on an in-depth evaluation of vehicles’ performance, safety, fuel efficiency, technology, value for money and other factors.

EXTER, IONIQ 5

The Exter beat out rivals such as the Maruti Suzuki Jimmy, the Honda Elevate and the Toyota Innova Hycross. The IONIQ 5 won the eco-friendly car award while competing against EVs such as the BMW i7 and the MG Comet EV.

Hyundai's sales figures show the Exter is growing more popular in India. It has sold more than 39,000 units of the affordably priced compact SUV since launching the model there in July.

The company, the No. 2 automaker in India together with its affiliate Kia Corp., has since ramped up production of the Exter by one third to 8,000 units a month.

Hyundai sold more than 559,000 vehicles in India during the first 11 months of the year.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com
 
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.