The ‘Best Cars of the Year’ will be coming to Farnborough this August!
By Mike Rutherford
British Motor Show President
The official Best Cars of the Year voting cards from dozens of expert automotive judges across the globe are finally in. Their priceless votes have been carefully counted. The totally democratic ‘one person, one vote’ process is complete.
The official result? Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 and Kia’s EV6 tied for first place and have therefore been declared the joint winners in this, the first-ever judging verdict from a new, revolutionary vehicle evaluation process. So, for most of this year at least, think of these two handsome, head-turning, state of the art cars as the undisputed World Champions.
What’s more, both hot models have already reached showrooms in the UK and are ready to be driven away by customers. Prices starting from around £37,000 (or circa £400 per month) are not inexpensive, but quality, good looks, 100 per cent-electric power, and accompanying giant battery packs collectively offering a claimed driving range of almost 300 miles don’t come cheap. All things considered, the Hyundai and the slightly more expensive Kia represent comparatively good value for money in a UK marketplace where many other pure-EVs start around the £50,000 mark (ouch!) but can often be priced even higher than that.
The genuinely different Best Cars of the Year (Best COTY) 2021/2022 competition was bravely if tentatively launched last year, but wouldn’t have got off the ground proper had it not been present at the brilliant British Motor Show 2021. It was back then that several contender cars – including the highly distinctive IONIQ 5 – wowed the crowds. And with its amazing tech plus its very different exterior architecture and interior design, it was one of the true stars of the show back in the summer of ’21. Thankfully, it’s scheduled to make a welcome return to the event during the expected glorious (fingers crossed!) summer of ’22.
The Hyundai, along with its sister vehicle, the Kia EV6, will will enjoy and positively exploit their joint World Champ status on the Best Cars of the Year stand in Hall 1 of the Farnborough exhibition centre. But don’t be surprised if you see other examples of the two victorious models elsewhere at the busy, action-packed, indoor/outdoor show venue.
But the unmissable Best COTY display at the undoubtedly bigger, better, bolder British Motor Show this coming August will also feature several of the vehicles nominated or short-listed for the future (ie 2022/2023) Best Cars of the Year prize. Put another way, some of the finest current and imminent new models on the planet will be at the exhibition – with a few of them making their show debuts.
So who are those highly experienced judges who declared that the fast-rising Hyundai and Kia sibling firms from South Korea now rank as world-beating manufacturers, designing and making showroom products currently considered even finer than more expensive vehicles built by long-established premium car makers such as Audi (Best COTY runner-up with the Audi e-tron GT) and Porsche (who claimed seventh spot with Taycan)?
The fact is that those hugely knowledgeable and independent judges hail from Europe (including the UK), North America, Asia and Africa and have much experience of working at the highest level across the automotive spectrum. Included are world-renowned VIP car designers; engineers; auto industry titans; F1, Le Mans and other motorsport legends; dealership bosses; major event and car club organisors; automotive consultants; specialist journalists; broadcasters; TV presenters; other media professionals…and even one or two serial car-buying members of the public.
Unique, unaffiliated, unbiased and unrivalled are the four words that just about sum up the Best Cars of the Year organisation and its hand-picked team of judges who are based in studios, workshops, boardrooms, circuits, offices and stages on the major car-producing continents of the automotive world
The judging panel commented that the shared win for the EV6 and Ioniq 5 further prove that Eui-Sun Chung, the youthful and daring Chairman of the giant Hyundai-Kia organisation based in Seoul, South Korea, is successfully shaking up the old-world order. Long may that continue.
Manufacturers from South Korea, Germany, Japan, USA, Italy and France (in that order) did most to impress. Remarkably, the 10 models voted into the Best COTY Top 10 are from 10 separate brands, based in six countries spread across the world’s Top 3 car-producing continents – Asia, Europe and North America.
BEST CARS OF THE YEAR 2021/2022 – OFFICIAL RESULTS
1st = KIA EV6
1st = HYUNDAI IONIQ 5
3rd AUDI E-TRON GT
4th TOYOTA GR YARIS
5th FORD MUSTANG MACH-E
6th FIAT 500E
7th PORSCHE TAYCAN
8th CITROEN AMI
9th MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV
10th VW POLO*
* updated 2021/2022 version
We’ll soon be bringing you much more news about Best Cars of the Year, its judges and its very special. long-term relationship with the British Motor Show. And we will of course give you advanced warning of some of the newly-crowned and nominated, contender cars that will be gracing the Best COTY stand at the exhibition. Watch this space!