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Chang Jae-hoon, CEO and president of Hyundai Motor, poses for a photo after the Hyundai Ioniq5 was awarded World Car of the Year. (provided by Hyundai Motor)

Hyundai Motor’s fully electric Ioniq 5 took home the title of World Car of the Year at the 2022 World Car Awards on Wednesday.

The Hyundai Motor Group said the Ioniq 5 had been named World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle of the Year and World Design of the Year, taking home three of six award categories in this year’s ceremony.

World Car of the Year is considered one of the world’s top three automotive awards, along with North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year and European Car of the Year. The winners are chosen in a secret ballot by 102 automotive reporters from 33 countries, including South Korea, the US, Europe, China and Japan.

Hyundai Motor said this award was particularly meaningful since it covers the entire world, whereas the other two awards focus on specific regions.

A total of 27 vehicles were nominated for the World Car of the Year, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 joined the Kia EV6 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E in the final stage of the competition.

The judges said the Ioniq 5 neatly combined a retro vibe, futuristic design and flexible cabin space to cement its position in the global electric vehicle market and establish itself as Hyundai’s leading model.

In a separate statement released on Thursday, Hyundai credited the Ioniq 5’s success to the determination and strategy of the group’s chairman, Chung Eui-sun.

“Chairman Chung Eui-sun ordered us to strive to apply new technology that other companies hadn’t attempted yet. That reflected his belief that we must show how we stand out by loading our proprietary platform with innovative technology that hasn’t been experienced in other electric vehicles,” Hyundai said, referring to its electric global modular platform (E-GMP).

“Chung stressed that we must acquire technology and quality that beats expectations in all areas, including design, space, amenities, energy efficiency, and powertrain, even if that requires schedule delays or higher costs.”

The Ioniq 5 is the first fully electric vehicle to be developed for the E-GMP, Hyundai’s dedicated platform for electric vehicles. It was also named the 2022 German Car of the Year and the 2022 UK Car of the Year and took first place in Auto Bild’s best imported electric vehicle category and in Auto Zeitung’s overall comparison of electric vehicles.

By Ahn Tae-ho, staff reporter

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