Two cutting-edge electric vehicles have been jointly crowned ‘Best Cars of the Year’ for 2021/2022, with those sitting on the judging panel unable to separate the new Kia EV6 and Hyundai’s IONIQ 5.
A spokesperson for Best Cars of the Year (BCOTY) claimed the process of reaching a winner was “revolutionary”, and that the two South Korean manufacturers continue to “successfully shake up the old-world order”.
In fact, four of the cars that made it into the competition’s top five places are battery electric vehicles, with only Toyota’s homologation special – the Gazoo Racing Yaris – the sole combustion-powered car.
The four-door Audi E-Tron GT coupe was ranked third by a judging panel that comprised designers, engineers and automotive journalists, with Ford’s Mustang Mach E Sport Utility Vehicle fifth overall.
“Manufacturers from South Korea, Germany, Japan, USA, Italy and France – in that order – did most to impress the hugely experienced and genuinely unique team of national and international BCOTY judges who operated under an unrestrictive, totally democratic, ‘one person, one vote’ system,” said the BCOTY spokesperson.
“Remarkably, the 10 models voted for by those judges into this year’s Best COTY Top 10 are from 10 separate brands, based in six countries spread across the world’s top three car-producing continents – Asia, Europe and North America.”
As the reigning joint world champions, both the Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 are set to take pride of place on the BCOTY stand at this summer’s British Motor Show.
Taking place from August 18 to 21 at Farnborough in England, the event also marks the start of the selection, evaluation, test driving and voting process for the BCOTY for 2022/2023.
Meanwhile, Kia has also scooped the Southern Group of Motoring Writers’ Car of the Year crown thanks, again, to the Kia EV6. “The EV6 builds on the brilliant work that Kia has done in making the e-Niro the people’s electric car, with a new flagship that is breathtakingly stunning,” said chairman Ian Robertson.
