Hyundai Motor’s luxury sedan Genesis G90 will be competing with Chevelot’s Bolt and the Volvo S90 for the prestigious North American Car of the Year award, the company said Wednesday.
The carmaker’s high-end vehicle, known as the Genesis EQ900 in South Korea, was named one of the three finalists for the award at the Los Angeles auto show. The winner will be announced during the Detroit Motor Show scheduled for January, based on the decision of a judging panel consisting of 57 journalists from the US and Canada, the company added.
This is the fifth time that a Hyundai Motor vehicle has entered the final stage of the award. In 2009, the first generation of the Genesis series, the BH model, was picked as a finalist, followed by the Sonata and Avante, in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The second generation of the Genesis series also competed in the final stage in 2015. Hyundai Motor won the award twice with the Genesis GH in 2009 and Avante in 2012.
Being a finalist of the award will offer a big sales opportunity for Hyundai, a positive sign for the carmaker which has been suffering from a sales decline.
Hyundai also expects to promote its Genesis brand in the premium sedan category in the market.
The South Korean carmaker launched the G90 in US and Canada in August. Hyundai is pursuing a two-pronged strategy, by separating the Genesis brand and bolstering its image as a high-end sedan apart from Hyundai, according to local experts.
“Genesis winning the North American Car of the Year award in 2009 had contributed to promoting Hyundai Motor’s product innovation and also helped the carmaker make an entry into the luxury market,” an official said. “We are betting big on the award result in January.”
The 2017 awards will be given to three categories, with a utility vehicle segment added for the first time.
Judges will make a decision by looking at factors such as innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction and value. The winners of the 2016 awards were the Honda Civic and Volvo XC90.
