hankyoreh

The Kia EV6 (provided by Kia)

Kia's EV6 was selected as the first Korean car brand to be named European Car of the Year.

Kia announced Tuesday that its fully electric EV6 sedan had been named the 2022 European Car of the Year in an online ceremony held in Geneva on Monday.

To win first place, the Kia vehicle beat the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Cupra Born, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Peugeot 308, Renault Megane E-Tech and the Skoda Enyaq iV, all of which were also nominated for the award.

The European Car of the Year is selected by a jury of 61 expert automotive journalists from 23 countries in the European Union.

Launched in 1964, the award is regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in the global market along with the US’ North American Car of the Year award.

Brands from Germany, the UK, France, the US and Japan — all traditional automobile powerhouses — were also considered.

Korean brands such as Hyundai Motor and Kia have been selected as North American Car of the Year before, but Kia said that this was the first time that a Korean automaker had secured the European Car of the Year award.

The EV6 is equipped with Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle platform (E-GMP) and features a spacious interior space provided by a 2900 millimeter wheelbase and an ultra-fast charging system that can charge up to 80% of its battery capacity in 18 minutes.

By Kim Jae-seob, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]