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Hyundai Motor Co. took home Influential Awards in India for its Exter and IONIQ models. The vehicles defeated Honda Motor's Elevate, Toyota Motor's Innova Hyxross, and Maruti Suzuki Jimmy in the SUV category while the electric vehicle morel beats BMWi7, MG Comet EV, and other leading brands.
Hyundai Motor won major prizes for the two vehicles in India, and these units are also expected to help the company further strengthen its presence in the country, which is currently the third-largest vehicle market in the world.
"The awards significantly influence local consumers' decision on new cars," an official at Hyundai said in a statement on Sunday, Dec. 24.
Exter and IONIQ 5: The Awards
Hyundai Motor's Exter is a compact sport utility vehicle that was awarded the 2024 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY). On the other hand, the all-electric IONIQ 5 crossover clinched the Green Car Award at the same award-giving body that is considered the most prestigious in the country's automobile industry.
According to The Korea Economic Daily, this is the eighth ICOTY award that was won by the South Korean automaker since 2008. With the awards, the brand received the most number of trophies among the vehicle brands sold in India.
Judging the Winners
The Korea Times reported that the winner was picked by an ICOTY jury, which is composed of 18 automobile journalists in India. They voted for the best in a given year based on several factors, including the evaluation of vehicles' performance, fuel efficiency, safety, technology, value for money, and others.
Meanwhile, it was noted that the achievement came at a time when Hyundai Motor was working on shifting its focus from Russia and moving to emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asia. CEO Chang Jae Hoon said on the company's win, "Hyundai Motor Group plans to continue various collaborative strategies with Singapore to develop future mobility production and technological innovation solutions, and to build and develop a sustainable ecosystem."
Photo by: Nischal Kanishk/Unsplash
