The Citroen C3, a small crossover built in India and Brazil, was the only model from a European automaker to win a category at the 2023 Word Car of the Year awards, in an edition dominated by Hyundai and Kia.
The New C3, as it is known in India, a completely different model from the European C3 small hatchback, won in the urban car category.
Hyundai won three awards with the Ioniq 6 midsize electric sedan, including best design, best electric vehicle and best model overall.
This was the second consecutive triple win for Hyundai, as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 was last year’s winner in the same three categories.
Sister brand Kia won the best performance car award with the 585-hp, 260 kph EV6 GT midsize electric crossover.
The world luxury car award went to the U.S. automaker Lucid for its Air flagship sedan, a model not sold in Europe.
Five of the six winners were full-electric models; the sixth, the Citroen C3, was launched in India first with internal combustion engines, with a full electric variant added recently.
“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious honor two years in a row, which recognizes the tremendous talents and unrelenting efforts of everyone at Hyundai to bring EVs like Ioniq 6 to market,” Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said in a statement.
In receiving the award for design on the sidelines of the New York auto show on Wednesday, SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center, said that “We always want to connect with customers on an emotional level and with the design of the Ioniq 6 we have created truly one of a kind.”
The World Car of the Year jury includes 100 automotive journalists from outlets in 32 countries, including Automotive News Europe.