For the second year in a row, an all-electric Hyundai has driven away with the prestigious World Car of the Year title – in 2022, it was the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and this time, the swoopy Hyundai Ioniq 6 has won the 2023 World Car of the Year award. On what was a big day for the Korean carmaker at the beginning of the 2023 New York International Auto Show, the Ioniq 6 snapped up not one, but three awards, including World Car of the Year, Electric Vehicle (EV) of the Year and Design of the Year. With this, the Ioniq 6 effectively replicated the results of the Ioniq 5, which won the very same awards in 2022.
For the most coveted World Car of the Year award, the Ioniq 6 beat the new BMW X1/iX1, as well as the Kia Niro, with these vehicles being chosen from the initial list of 30 vehicles from the world over. Vehicles eligible for this award must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units/year, must be priced below luxury car levels in their primary markets, and must be on-sale in at least two major markets (from among China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, and the US) on at least two separate continents at some time between January 1, 2022 and March 30, 2023.
“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 Ioniq 6 to market,” said Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “This honour reinforces our commitment to be a global leader in vehicle electrification and will serve to embolden our efforts as a smart mobility solutions provider.”
Kia EV6 GT won the World Performance Car of the Year award ahead of the Nissan Z and Toyota GR Corolla.
In the EV of the Year category, the Ioniq 6 bested two other all-electric sedans in the form of the BMW i7 and the Lucid Air. Only EVs produced in volumes of at least 5,000 units a year and available for purchase in at least two major markets (from among China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America and the US) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2022 and March 30, 2023, were eligible for this award.
A panel of six world design experts – including former Jaguar design director Ian Callum – sampled all 78 models eligible for the 2023 World Car Awards, and shortlisted three cars – the Ioniq 6, the Range Rover and the Lucid Air. Once again, it was the Ioniq 6 that secured the Design of the Year title.
“We always want to connect with customers on an emotional level and with the design of the Ioniq 6 we have created truly one of a kind. The daring streamliner styling combines strong emotional appeal with aerodynamic efficiency to give exceptional range. Inside, we set-out to create a personal studio which offers mindful space and calm functionality which, we believe, elevates EV design”, said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center.
The Lucid Air pipped the BMW 7 Series/i7 and Genesis G90 to the World Luxury Car of the Year award.
The occasion was further sweetened for the Hyundai Motor Group, as the World Performance Car of the Year award was snagged by the Kia EV6 GT, which beat the Nissan Z and the Toyota GR Corolla to the title. This meant that the Hyundai Motor Group won four out of the six awards up for grabs this year.
The all-electric Lucid Air sedan won the 2023 World Luxury Car of the Year title, ahead of the BMW 7 Series/i7 and the Genesis G90. The Air’s victory in this category marked five out of six awards this year being snapped up by electric vehicles.
Launched in 2022, the Citroen C3 beat the Ora Funky Cat and Volkswagen Taigo to the World Urban Car of the Year award.
The only combustion engine vehicle to win an award this year was the made-in-India Citroen C3, which was crowned 2023 World Urban Car of the Year. The C3 – launched in India in 2022 – beat the Ora Funky Cat and the Volkswagen Taigo/Nivus to the title, and is the first made-in-India, sold-in-India vehicle to win an accolade at the World Car Awards.
A jury of 100 international automotive journalists from 32 countries – including carandbike editor-in-chief Girish Karkera – selected the winners based on their evaluation of each eligible vehicle. The vote results were tabulated by KPMG.
