Kia, Hyundai sweep World Car Awards with EV9, IONIQ 5 N

NEW YORK – Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s No. 3 carmaker, has swept the 2024 World Car Awards, a global premier standard for automotive excellence, claiming multiple awards in the electric vehicle category, proving the South Korean manufacturer’s competitiveness in the clean car sector.

The Kia EV9, the flagship all-electric sport utility vehicle of the group’s smaller automaking unit Kia Corp., won the 2024 World Car of the Year and the 2024 World Electric Vehicle titles on Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show. The IONIQ 5 N, the first all-electric high-performance car under its N brand of Kia’s affiliate Hyundai Motor Co., was named the 2024 World Performance Car.

The World Car Awards, a group of automobile Car of the Year awards selected by a jury of 100 international automotive journalists from 29 countries, named the best models in six categories. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the IONIQ 6, its first fully electric sedan, were selected as 2022 World Car of the Year and 2023 World Car of the Year, respectively.

“All the World Car of the Year winners in the last three years were based on Hyundai Motor Group’s EV-dedicated platform E-GMP,” said a group official, referring to the Electrified-Global Modular Platform. “They were proven to be the world’s best.”

EV9 BEATS VOLVO EX30, BYD SEAL

The EV9 was chosen from an initial entry list of 38 vehicles from all over the world then from a shortlist of finalists announced at the Geneva International Motor Show in February.

The three finalists were the EV9, the Volvo EX30 fully electric small SUV and the BYD Seal electric mid-size sedan.

“This award cements Kia’s standing as the frontrunner in sustainable mobility solutions that go beyond conventional automobiles,” said Yoon Seungkyu, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America.

Kia plans to start assembling the EV9 in the US State of Georgia in May as Washington provides EV buyers with benefits of up to $7,500 per vehicle assembled in North America. The South Korean company and Hyundai are offering discounts up to the maximum federal benefit on their EVs to enlarge their presence in the world’s second-largest EV market amid falling demand.

DEBUT OF KIA K4 COMPACT SEDAN

Kia unveiled the all-new 2025 K4 compact sedan for its world premiere at the auto show.

The model, which Kia plans to launch in the US in the fourth quarter of this year, is the widest and has the largest footprint in the compact segment with an overall length of 185.4 inches (4.7 meters) and width of 72.8 inches, according to the company.

When the K4 goes on sale in the US, the front-wheel-drive sedan will offer two powertrain choices – one with a 2.0-liter engine producing 147 horsepower and the other with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine generating 190 horsepower, the company said. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and sport pedals complete the sportier package, it added.

The K4 is equipped with a multi-segment cockpit display with a combined nearly 30 inches of digital instrumentation, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features, advanced connectivity and over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities.

“The all-new K4 advances Kia’s commitment to deliver sporty sedans with advanced technology and elevated performance,” said Steven Center, Kia America Inc.’s chief operating officer.

2025 TUCSON, SANTA CRUZ

At the New York event, Hyundai introduced a thoroughly refreshed model of the Tucson, its best-selling compact SUV in North America last year, and an advanced version of the Santa Cruz pickup, showcasing its determination to accelerate US sales by releasing vehicles with better performance and marketability.

Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis showcased the Magma – its high-performance trim – of the GV60 and the GV80 unveiled earlier this week at the show. It also exhibited the Neolun Concept, Genesis’ first full-size electric SUV with more luxury features.

“I wanted to take a look at them for myself after reading articles about the Genesis,” said an official from a Japanese carmaker, who visited the Genesis booth at the show. “It is interesting as Genesis chose a different strategy from those of Japanese luxury brands such as Lexus and Infinity.”

Hyundai Motor Group had the most space at the show, occupying a total of 7,300 square meters (78,576 square feet) combining the showrooms of Hyundai, its premium brand Genesis and Kia, together taking up about a quarter of the total exhibition hall area.

Write to Jae-Fu Kim at hu@hankyung.com
 

Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.