World Car of the Year 2020 is the Kia Telluride

Being one of the three finalists for the World Car of the Year for 2020, the Kia Telluride received the crown from the World Car Awards. The other two finalists were both Mazdas, the Mazda CX-30 crossover and Mazda3 sedan and hatchback. This win also makes Kia the first Korean car company to receive the title.

The Telluride is the newest 7-seater mid-size SUV from Kia and is meant to compete with the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Subaru Ascent, Mazda CX-9, Volkswagen Atlas, and the Hyundai Palisade. It is also the company’s flagship SUV.

In addition, the Kia Soul EV also won the award for the World Urban Car for 2020. 

The Kia Telluride was one of the initial 29 vehicles in the World Car of the Year entry list while the Kia Soul EV was one of the initial 8 vehicles in the entry list of the World Urban Car contenders. Both vehicles were announced as part of the Top Three in the World finalists in their respective categories on March 3, 2020. 

“Everyone at Kia is truly honored to receive not just one, but two awards from the World Car Awards judging panel,” said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of Product Division at Kia Motors Corporation. “This is one of the hardest-fought competitions in the global automotive industry, proving that the Telluride and Soul EV are both truly outstanding vehicles. These accolades are testament to the talents and efforts of a worldwide team, who all strive to create desirable, high-quality and practical cars that drivers love.”

Vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel composed of 86 prominent automotive journalists from 24 countries. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulated the jurors’ ballots.

For a complete list of previous winners, you can visit the World Car Awards website.