The prestigious European Car of the Year prize has been awarded to Kia’s EV6, making history as the first time a South Korean car company has taken the title.

The EV6 edged out the Renault Megane E-Tech and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in a tightly fought contest which was dominated by electric vehicles. Six of the seven finalists were pure electric, with the four other vehicles being the Cupra Born, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Enyaq iV.

The Kia EV6 claimed 279 points from the judges, compared to the Renault (265) and the Hyundai (261), to take a prie which was won by the Toyota Yaris last year. The competition has been running since 1964, and is voted for by a 59-strong team of respected motoring journalists, although this year there was late drama following the removal of the votes from the Russian delegation.

“It’s a great honour to have won the 2022 Car of the Year with the EV6, the first ever Kia to win this prestigious award,” said Jason Jeong, President at Kia Europe. “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. The EV6 is an exciting sign of what’s still to come in our evolving electrified line-up.”

The EV6 is the first of seven dedicated EV models Kia plans to launch by 2026, and adds the European title to a host of other awards including the What Car? Car of the Year, and joint winner of the inaugural ‘Best Cars of the Year 2021/22.

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