Kia EV6 (Kia)
Kia announced Tuesday that its first dedicated electric vehicle EV6 has become the first South Korean car to be named the Car of the Year in the European Car of the Year awards.
EV6 took the throne, beating out over 60 models launched in 2021 listed as candidates for the 2022 Car of the Year.
Among the top seven finalists were Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Skoda Enyaq iV, Cupra Born, Renault Megane E-Tech and Peugeot 308.
The Car of the Year was chosen by 61 auto journalists from 23 European countries after a thorough evaluation and voting process.
The European Car of the Year award, which began in 1964, is one of the most highly respected awards in the global auto market along with the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards.
Kia’s all-electric crossover had to compete not only with German, British, and French cars, but also with American and Japanese cars.
Korean automakers such as Hyundai and Kia had been previously named the Car of the Year by the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, but never in Europe.
The EV6 is produced with Kia’s Electric-Global Modular Platform, and offers a wide indoor space with a massive wheelbase of 2,900 millimeters.
As a result of its E-GMP underpinnings, the EV6 has a class-leading interior space, a highly impressive 528-kilometer driving range, and 800V ultra-fast charging capabilities that enable customers to carry out a 10 to 80 percent charge in just 18 minutes.
A total of 11,303 EV6s were sold until January since its sales started last October in Europe.
Other titles recently claimed include 2022 Irish Car of the Year and “Premium” winner in the German Car of the Year 2022 awards.
“The EV6 is truly a landmark development that’s been designed from the outset to make electric mobility fun, convenient and accessible by combining a highly impressive real-world driving range, ultra-fast charging capabilities, a spacious high-tech interior and a truly rewarding driving experience,” said Jason Jeong, President at Kia Europe. “The EV6 is an exciting sign of what’s still to come in our evolving electrified line-up.”
By Hong Yoo (
yoohong@heraldcorp.com)