The Automobile Writers' Association of Korea(AWAK) announced on the 28th that it has selected Kia Stinger as the '2018 AWAK Car of the Year' in Korea by evaluating new cars released in Korea this year. Kia Stinger scored a total score of 4615 points (5,700 points), the Genesis G70 was ranked second with 4588 points, and the Volvo XC60 ranked third with 4526 points.
As for the winners by each category, Kia Stinger was selected in this year's Design category, winning two crowns. The Audi R8 won this year's performance car category, the Chevrolet Volt EV in the Environment-Friendly car category, and the Volvo XC60 in this year's SUV category; all providing their excellence.
The AWAK members evaluated that Kia Stinger played a significant role in raising the level of domestic cars. Kia Stinger received an evenly high score for design, performance, and innovation among 23 evaluation items, and was highly evaluated for innovation, design, and economy compared to the Genesis G70.
In addition, Kia Stinger also won this year's car design category. The Kia Stinger, which emphasized the proportions of a high-performance rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, was highly evaluated for its low and wide-body and the design that emphasized the high-performance image such as the grille and air intake, as well as the design of lamps with emphasis on details.
The Audi R8 was awarded in this year's performance car category. The Audi R8 is powered by the most powerful 5.2 V10 engine among Audi models, delivering a maximum output of 610 horsepower. 100 km/h acceleration from standstill happens in 3.2 seconds, and it has the top speed of 330km/h. It has a midship layout for the performance driving.
Chevrolet Volt EV was selected in this year's Environment-Friendly car category. The Chevrolet Volt EV, an all-electric vehicle that runs about 383 km on a single charge, has a large-capacity battery pack applied to the high-rigidity lightweight body exclusively for electric vehicles. It exhibits a maximum output of 204 horsepower and a maximum torque of 36.7 kg.m, and an acceleration of 100 km/h from standstill happens in 7 seconds.
The Volvo XC60 won this year's SUV category. Last year, Volvo was selected as SUV of the year with its XC90, followed by this year's XC60, which was selected as the SUV of the Year for the second year in a row. The Volvo XC60 received high praise for its emotional interior design, the latest safety technology, and various convenience features.
Although they were not selected for Car of the Year, the Lexus LC and Range Rover Bella were highly evaluated in the design category, the Prius and Ioniq PHEV in the Environment-Friendly category, the Kia Stinger and Lexus LC in the performance category, and the G4 Rexton and Hyundai Kona in the SUV category.
