Kia EV6 wins 2022 European Car of the Year award

The Kia EV6 has been named the 2022 European Car of the Year (ECOTY), marking the first time the South Korean has ever won the award which is in its 59th edition. With a total score of 279 points, the EV6 bested the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric in second place with 265 points, as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in third with 261 points.

Kia’s electric vehicle (EV) first made its global debut back in March last year and is built on the same Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) also used by the Ioniq 5. It is offered with single- or dual-motor setups, with power outputs ranging from 170 PS (168 hp or 125 kW) to 585 PS (577 hp or 430 kW). The EV6 has been tipped to arrive in Malaysia sometime in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.

Electric vehicles made up the majority of the seven finalists shortlisted for the coveted title, with six models having all-electric powertrains. The Peugeot 308, which is available with a petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid drive system, was the only exception and took the fourth place in the final standings with 191 points. It is followed by the Skoda Enyaq iV (185 points), Ford Mustang Mach-E (150 points) and Cupra Born (144 points).

The jury for the 2022 ECOTY is made up of 59 members representing 22 European countries, with the objective of finding the best new car on sale. This time around, the committee decided by majority to suspend Russian votes due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

“This is a reaction on the Russian attack on the Ukraine. The suspension is not personal, it is not against our members. The Russian jury members are not excluded from the jury. But their right to vote is suspended until a change of the situation of the conflict. However, we realised that the suspension of the Russian votes does not have any influence on this year’s results, neither on the winning car nor on the ranking,” the ECOTY committee said in a statement.

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