Big wins for TUCSON, KONA Electric, IONIQ 5 N and i10 as Hyundai dominates 2024 Auto Express New Car Awards

05.07.2024
  • Prestigious Auto Express awards recognise strength of Hyundai line-up
  • TUCSON leads a quartet of winners by being named Best Mid-Size SUV
  • Hyundai’s EV expertise acknowledged as KONA Electric takes Best Small Company Car prize, and the IONIQ 5 N is hailed Best Performance Car
  • i10 retains its crown as the Best City Car on sale in Britain
  • Judges praise the superb variety and quality across Hyundai line-up

Leatherhead, 3 July 2024 – The widespread appeal of Hyundai’s exciting range of cars has been demonstrated in emphatic fashion as four models picked up top prizes at the 2024 Auto Express New Car Awards.

The awards were handed out at a ceremony held at Dartmouth House in London’s Mayfair, with the big-selling Hyundai TUCSON leading the way as Auto Express’s Best Mid-Size SUV. It was joined by the Hyundai i10 (Best City Car), while Hyundai’s leadership in electrification was underlined by awards for the Hyundai KONA Electric (Best Small Company Car) and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, which continued its amazing run of success by being crowned Best Performance Car.

Auto Express is one of the UK’s leading car news and reviews titles both in print and online, and its New Car Awards are long established, having been launched in 1993. The awards are judged by an experienced team of road testers and seek to identify the best cars on the market across 25 sectors, focusing on the real-world requirements and priorities of buyers.

This year’s award for the TUCSON was the fourth year in a row it has been acclaimed Best Mid-Sized SUV by Auto Express, following triumphs in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with its excellent all-round appeal proving popular with the judges. Starting prices for the TUCSON are from £32,000.

Another winner from last year which repeated its success was the i10, which continues to attract buyers in the city car class thanks to its blend of smart styling, generous specification and sensible pricing. It is available from £16,030.

The KONA Electric’s Best Small Company Car honour followed up its overall Auto Express Car of the Year award in 2023, with judges continuing to be impressed by its sharp design and affordability. It is priced from £34,995.

The IONIQ 5 N’s accolade is the latest recognition for the groundbreaking EV, which was created to deliver maximum driving enjoyment by integrating the motorsport-bred technologies and expertise of Hyundai’s N division. Already it has been named 2024 World Performance Car in the World Car Awards, 2023 Car of the Year by TopGear.com and Best Performance Car of 2024 by Autocar. In May, it was also hailed as the world’s best electric performance car by CAR following a definitive seven-car test. The IONIQ 5 N can be ordered from £65,000.

Paul Barker, Auto Express Editor, said: “With Hyundai, the variety impresses as much as the quality – to be top of the list in so many different areas of the market illustrates the breadth of ability across the company’s line-up.

“The TUCSON offers an unbeatable combination of distinctive design, excellent space and tech and a great blend of powertrain options, while the i10 shows it is still possible to have a fun, affordable and well equipped small car. The KONA Electric blends space, style and low running costs to excellent effect, and the incredible IONIQ 5 N has set a new bar by some distance in terms of what is possible in the world of electric performance cars.”

Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai & Genesis UK, said: “Winning four major awards from a title as respected as Auto Express underlines yet again what a compelling line-up of cars Hyundai has to offer customers in the UK. In every area of the market, from affordable city cars to smart family SUVs and exhilarating electrified performance cars, Hyundai is setting new benchmarks and delivering exactly what buyers want with desirable, high-quality, attractively priced models.”

For more information on all the cars in Hyundai UK’s award-winning range, visit www.hyundai.co.uk

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About Hyundai Motor Company
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees dedicated to tackling real-world mobility challenges around the globe. Based on the brand vision ‘Progress for Humanity,’ Hyundai Motor is accelerating its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider. The company invests in advanced technologies such as robotics and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to bring about revolutionary mobility solutions, while pursuing open innovation to introduce future mobility services. In pursuit of sustainable future for the world, Hyundai will continue its efforts to introduce zero emission vehicles equipped with industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell and EV technologies.

More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at:
http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://globalpr.hyundai.com

About Hyundai Motor Europe HQ
Hyundai Motor Europe HQ was formally established in 2000 with its main office in Offenbach, Germany. It is the regional headquarters responsible for selling vehicles in 47 European countries through 2,279 sales outlets, holding a 4.2 per cent market share in the first three quarters of 2023. More than 70 per cent of the vehicles Hyundai sold in the region are models engineered, tested, and built in Europe to meet the needs of European customers, served by the company’s Czech and Turkish production plants.

In the third quarter of 2023, around 16.1 per cent of Hyundai cars sold in Europe were zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles (BEVs and FCEVs), including respective World Car of the Year 2022 and 2023 winners IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6. This makes Hyundai one of the leading manufacturers in terms of fleet share as well as total sales of zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles in Europe, as the company transitions to becoming a Smart Mobility Solutions Provider.

More information about Hyundai Motor Europe HQ and its products is available at www.hyundai.news.
Follow Hyundai Motor Europe HQ on Twitter @HyundaiEurope and Instagram @Hyundai.Europe

About Hyundai Motor UK
Hyundai has sold vehicles in the UK since 1982 with its UK HQ based in Leatherhead, Surrey. As of February 2024, Hyundai has one of the youngest product ranges of any manufacturer, with almost all models younger than a year old. Hyundai is a pioneer in zero-emission mobility, including the fully electric, multi award winning IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6 and KONA Electric ranges and second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle NEXO, as well as its advanced hybrid and plug-in hybrid Tucson and Santa Fe models. All new passenger cars come with Hyundai’s unique Five Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty package, providing customers with a five-year warranty with unlimited mileage, roadside assistance package, five years of vehicle health checks and an EV High Voltage battery warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles. Buyers of used Hyundai models are also protected by the industry leading Hyundai Promise Approved Used Cars program.

Hyundai Motor UK sales grew 8.3% year-on-year during 2023, selling 87,100 vehicles in 2024, with TUCSON leading the surge, as both the best-selling Hyundai model and the 2nd best-selling hybrid in the UK. 75% of Hyundai Motor UK’s 2023 sales were of SUVs and 48% Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid or Electric. TUCSON shines yet again, with TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid selling 6,073 units during 2023 – an increase of 88% year-on-year.

Further information about Hyundai and its products is available at www.hyundai.co.uk and media information at: https://www.hyundai.news/uk/ Follow us on Twitter @Hyundai_UK_PR

For more information, please contact:
Natasha Waddington, Head of PR – natasha.waddington@hyundai.co.uk
Robin Hayles, Head of Product & Technical PR – robin.hayles@hyundai.co.uk
Emma Illman, Product Press Officer – emma.illman@hyundai.co.uk
Harriet Ward, PR Coordinator – harriet.ward@hyundai.co.uk