The Kia Telluride has claimed the title of ‘World Car of the Year’ for 2020 with the Soul EV capturing the ‘World Urban Car’ title, while the Mazda 3 garnered the ‘Design of the Year’ trophy.
The Kia Telluride was rewarded by the judging panel for its distinctive design and impressive practicality and the title represents another accolade for a vehicle that has garnered more than 70 awards since its introduction in 2019. The SUV has already been crowned North American Utility Vehicle of the Year and MotorTrend SUV of the Year, among others.
The fully-electric Soul EV was named the ideal car for the city by the jury, combining zero-emission performance and impressive electric range with a compact body, bold design, and high levels of practicality.
“Everyone at Kia is truly honoured to receive not just one, but two awards from the World Car of the Year judging panel,” said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of Product Division at Kia Motors Corporation. “This is one of the hardest-fought competitions in the global automotive industry, proving the Telluride and Soul EV are both truly outstanding vehicles. These accolades are testament to the talents and efforts of a worldwide team, who all strive to create desirable, high-quality and practical cars that drivers love.”
The winners of the World Car Awards are decided by an independent international jury comprising 86 highly-experienced, well-respected automotive journalists from 24 countries around the world.
At this year’s World Car of the Year Awards 2020, the Porsche Taycan won as ‘World Luxury Car’ and ‘World Performance Car of the Year’.
In the performance category, it succeeded in a historic triple against the 911 and the 718 Spyder/Cayman GT4.
Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board, Research and Development, commented on the awards: “This double win in the categories ‘World Performance Car’ and ‘World Luxury Car’ underlines what we wanted to achieve when we developed the Taycan. We wanted to create a driver-focused, fully electric sports car that can take on any performance car. At the same time, we focused on uncompromised everyday usability and contemporary, digital luxury and comfort for four passengers. We are delighted that the WCOTY jury rewards these efforts.”
“We are so happy to have been awarded these accolades. They reflect the positive feedback from our customers and are a great incentive for our future work,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “We see ourselves as pioneers of sustainable mobility and have brought an emotive as well as highly innovative sports car to the road with the Taycan – fully electric and 100% Porsche.”
