The Hyundai Group has won numerous prestigious vehicle awards in the electric vehicle category. In 2022, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 won the World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, and World Car Design of the Year awards. This was followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 winning the same awards in 2023. Kia made a strong comeback in 2024 with the new EV9 winning the World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle titles, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N won World Performance Car.
A panel of one hundred automotive journalists from 29 countries tested 38 vehicles to determine the winners. To be eligible for entry, a car must have an annual production exceeding 10,000 units, be available in at least two major global markets, and be priced lower than luxury options in their region. The EV9 beat out competitors like the BYD Seal and Volvo EX30 to win the WCOTY award.
In the electric vehicle category, there were a total of 33 cars that were evaluated against each other. The BMW i5 and Volvo EX30 were among rivals that were defeated by EV9 to win this award. Meanwhile, in performance car category, there were a total of 16 cars evaluated against each other and among them; Hyundai Ioniq 5 N emerged victorious by beating popular cars such as M2 and XM to claim its title.
One of biggest surprises was Toyota Prius winning the