Time for Speed: World Car Award Winners, 2022

Did you know that there are about 1.45 billion cars all over the world? It was way back in 1886 that Carl Benz first applied for a patent for what is known to be the first car. Due to its usefulness and status-boosting power, people soon took to cars. Once upon a time, cars were a luxury only afforded by the upper echelons of society. Since then, we have come a long way. Today, the majority of the population owns at least one car. However, this does not diminish the novelty of owning a car. Buying a car is still a dream for many. With the variety of selections available, one needs to be prudent when choosing a car. A wide range of factors like price, look, mileage, brand value, and sustainability, among others are taken into consideration. Just like any other product, a stamp of approval makes any car more desirable.

In the early 2000s, the World Car Awards, previously known as the World Car of the Year, were launched to give accolades to the best car of a particular year. These awards are proffered based on the judgement of 82 international automotive journalists from 24 countries.

After the harrowing pandemic, the World Car Awards finally took place in person in 2022. Let us have a look at the winners of the six categories of the World Car Awards, 2022.

Car: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Awards: World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle of the Year, World Car Design of the Year

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 broke all records when it won not one but three awards. Remarkably, it bagged the World Car of the Year Award, World Electric Vehicle of the Year Award, and the World Car Design of the Year.

Launched in June 2021, the multi-award-winning car is a family hatchback that offers a lot of legroom. All its rear seats are 40/20/40 split-folding ensuring that the seats can be folded individually. This helps travelers decide whether they want to prioritize boot space or passenger space. The electric car can not only be charged quickly but also provides great mileage on a single charge. Its battery range is 58kWh/185 miles and it can run for approximately 8 hours on a single charge. Its sustainable design is to die for as well.

Car: Toyota Yaris Cross

Award: World Urban Car

The Toyota Yaris Cross is one of the latest cars offered by Toyota. Its amazing city-friendly characteristics have made it the winner in the World Urban Car category. The World Urban Car Award is presented to the car that gives phenomenal performances in the city. The Toyota Yaris Cross boasts a number of features that make it the ideal car for a city dweller. Its rain sensor, auto windscreen wipers, acoustic windscreen glass, follow me home headlights, pre-collision system with emergency steering assist, 8.2 inches infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with a self-charging hybrid engine unit of 1.5 liters and a boot space of 397 liters make it a deserving winner of the award.

Car: The Mercedes-Benz EQS

Award: World Luxury Car

Luxury cars are the ones that can only be afforded by a select few. The off-the-charts asking prices might make them a distant dream for most of us. Still, this does not prevent us from admiring the niche cars. This year, the coveted World Luxury Car Award was won by none other than the Mercedes-Benz EQS, Mercedes’ flagship sedan. Equipped with the best tech and cabin experience, the spectacular S-Class is sure to delight the senses. Its well-insulated build ensures that noise of all kinds, be it wind, road, or electric motor is kept to a minimum. The EQS has a beautiful interior as well. Outfitted with Nappa leather, real wood veneers, metal inserts, and soft-touch plastics the car spells luxury. The MBUX Reality Head-up Display, MBUX Interior Assistant, panoramic roof, heated seats, and keyless go feature are some of the characteristics that set the EQS apart. The car has a number of versions so as to suit the needs of various people. The EQS 450+ has 328 bhp and an official range of 453 miles between charges. The AMG EQS 53 is sportier. It has 649 bhp and an official range of 355 miles between charges. Nevertheless, both options are steeped in luxury.

Car: Audi e-Tron GT

Award: World Performance Car

Performance is one of the key factors that one considers before choosing a car. A well-performing car is a dream for all the car fanatics out there. This year, the World Performance Car Award was won by the Audi e-tron GT. The low-slung sedan gives you a sports car vibe at the very first glance. It comes in two variants. While the regular version gives you a horsepower of 469 and a torque of 465 lb-ft with 522 hp and 472 lb-ft in boost mode, the RS version makes 590 hp and 612 lb-ft. In boost mode, it climbs up to 637 hp. The Audi e-tron GT boasts a Quattro four-wheel drive with a self-locking center differential. It has suspension with damper control and a sports three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel. The Audi Drive Select and the sports seats with integrated headrests add a premium dimension to the car.

Conclusion  

Our first car is as special to us as our first house. It is the car we dreamed about since childhood. Naturally, we never forget it. However, we do move on to newer models as our tastes and circumstances keep evolving. Like any other thing, we always covet the best car for ourselves. The World Car Awards brings to us the best cars out there so that we can choose the one suited to our diverse needs. As we can see from the list, electric cars have made great headway this year. It would seem that electric cars are not only sustainable but also meet all our stylistic and performance needs.

I would love to know which of the award-winning cars here pique your interest.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Car_Awards available under available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.