Kia EV6 bags 'Car of the Year' plum at 2022 What Car? Awards

MANILA: The Kia EV6 won the "Car of the Year" award at the 2022 What Car? Awards in the United Kingdom, alongside being named Electric SUV of the Year. 

Each year, the British automotive publication What Car?'s Car of the Year Awards names the best new cars across several vehicle categories.

To be eligible for the awards, a car has to have been tested back-to-back with its rivals, on UK roads and at a dedicated test facility, by What Car?’s team of road testers. An overall "Car of the Year" is then selected from the category winners.

"The EV6 combines a huge real-world range with the ability to charge at speeds that no rival can keep up with, addressing two of the biggest concerns that people still have about electric cars," What Car? was quoted by Kia UK as saying. 

"What’s more, by using bespoke electric underpinnings rather than a set that’s shared by petrol and diesel models, Kia has been able to take advantage of the compact size of electric motors and produce a car that’s hugely spacious and practical," the publication added. 

The EV6 is Kia’s first dedicated electric car, and uses the company’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The EV6 is available with rear- or all-wheel drive and a 77.4kWh battery as standard across a choice of three model grades. Driving range is rated at 328 miles (527 kilometers) for rear-wheel drive models.

Unveiled at the start of 2021, the EV6 has quickly gained consumer attention, with UK customer deliveries commencing in the final quarter of 2021, Kia said.

In Europe, the sales momentum for the EV6 is strong and continuing to grow, with more than 1,000 units sold in the UK since deliveries began. A performance-oriented version called the EV6 GT is due to join the line-up later in 2022.

The Kia Sorento with the 2.2-liter diesel also won the What Car? Tow Car Award, for the SUV's ability to tow 2,500 kilograms. In 2019, the Kia Niro won the What Car? Car of the Year. 

Photos from Kia UK

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