Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 9 was named the 'Car of the Year 2026' by automotive journalists.
The Ioniq 9 was also selected as this year's car in the 'electric SUV' category in this evaluation, achieving a double crown. Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicles, following Kia EV6 in 2022, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N in 2024, and Kia EV3 in 2025, have been named 'Car of the Year,' proving outstanding electric vehicle technology.
The Korea Automotive Writers' Association (AWAK, chairman Kang Hee-soo) announced on the 15th that it had selected Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 9 as the 'Car of the Year 2026.'
Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 9 is a large electric SUV launched domestically in February 2025, characterized by a three-row seat accommodating six to seven people based on Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle platform E-GMP. It also features a 110.3 kWh battery, achieving a single-charge driving range of more than 500 km.
The 'Car of the Year 2026' saw fierce competition among electric vehicles. In the final evaluation, Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 9 took first place with a total score of 6611.4 points, surpassing Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 6 N, which scored 6479.15 points, and Kia PV5, which scored 6477.7 points.
Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 6 N topped its category, the 'performance' segment, with an overwhelming 73.3% support among competing models in the category, but narrowly ceded the overall first-place position to the Ioniq 9.
The Korea Automotive Writers' Association selected winners in a total of 16 institutional sector categories. This year, in particular, it established the new 'soft tech of the year' category and began evaluations of technologies combining software and hardware such as infotainment and Autonomous Driving.
The category winners were: △Car of the Year 'Hyundai Motor Ioniq 9' △internal combustion sedan of the year 'Audi A5' △internal combustion crossover of the year 'Peugeot 308 Smart Hybrid' △internal combustion SUV of the year 'Volkswagen Atlas' △electric sedan of the year 'Kia EV4' △electric crossover of the year 'Renault Korea Scenic E-Tech 100% Electric' △electric SUV of the year 'Hyundai Motor Ioniq 9' △hybrid sedan of the year 'Volvo S90 T8' △MPV of the year 'Kia PV5' △pickup truck of the year 'Kia Tasman' △performance of the year 'Hyundai Motor Ioniq 6 N' △luxury car of the year 'Maserati Granturismo' △design of the year 'Peugeot 3008 Smart Hybrid'. For person of the year, Park Jun-woo, executive director in charge of the N brand at Hyundai Motor Group, was selected.
Meanwhile, the newly established 'soft tech of the year' saw competition among 'Pleo's Fleet,' developed by Hyundai Motor Group and 42dot, 'Tesla FSD,' which showcased advanced driver assistance features on domestic roads, and 'GM Super Cruise,' which maps major domestic roads to allow hands-off driving; as a result of voting, all finished in a tie and were selected as joint winners.
The Korea Automotive Writers' Association conducted live vehicle tests to select the 'Car of the Year 2026' on the 12th at Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Thirty full members of the association participated in the judging, which evaluated 22 items including design, performance, convenience and safety, economy, and innovation on a 290-point scale, and after a rigorous review process, the winners were finally decided.
Korea Automotive Writers' Association chairman Kang Hee-soo said, "This year's live vehicle test, too, was carried out amid the winter's tantrums. But what really challenged our members was not the bad weather but the neck-and-neck commercial appeal shown by each entry. As electrification's offensive to capture the territory of internal combustion has become fiercer than ever, the characteristic of this evaluation was that internal combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles formed a relentless competitive structure."
The Korea Automotive Writers' Association plans to hold the 'Car of the Year 2026' awards ceremony on Feb. 4 at Crest72 in Jangchung-dong, Seoul.
△ past car of the year winners
2013 Kia K9 – Lexus ES
2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2015 Infiniti Q50
2016 Hyundai Avante
2017 Renault Samsung SM6
2018 Kia Stinger
2019 Hyundai Palisade
2020 Kia K5
2021 Genesis G80
2022 Kia EV6
2023 Hyundai Grandeur hybrid
2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
2025 Kia EV3<
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