Three U.S. outlets: Car and Driver, MotorWeek, and Cars.com
Palisade named Car and Driver's best model for 7 consecutive years
Hyundai Motor Group has achieved consecutive wins in major U.S. media awards recently announced.
Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 6th that a total of 17 models were selected as the best in their respective segments in the 2026 Editors' Choice Awards released by the leading U.S. automotive magazine Car and Driver, including 8 Hyundai models, 5 Kia models, and 4 Genesis models.
Car and Driver is one of the most representative automotive media outlets in the United States. Each year, its professional editors personally test-drive vehicles sold in the U.S. market and conduct comprehensive evaluations to select the best models by segment and category.
In this year's awards, Hyundai Motor had a total of 8 models named to the winners list, with the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 5 N selected in the "Compact Electric SUV" category, the Ioniq 9 in the "Midsize Electric SUV" category, the Palisade in the "Midsize 3-Row SUV" category, the Palisade Hybrid and Santa Fe Hybrid in the "Midsize Hybrid SUV" category, the Avante N (Elantra N) in the "Compact Sports Sedan" category, and the Santa Cruz in the "Compact Pickup Truck" category.
Kia had 5 models selected, with the EV6 winning in the "Compact Electric SUV" category, the EV9 in the "Midsize Electric SUV" category, the K5 in the "Midsize Family Sedan" category, the Carnival in the "Minivan" category, and the Carnival Hybrid in the "Hybrid Minivan" category.
Genesis had a total of 4 models recognized as the best in their classes, with the GV70 in the "Luxury Compact SUV" category, the GV80 in the "Luxury Midsize 2-Row SUV" category, the G80 in the "Luxury Midsize Sedan" category, and the G90 in the "Luxury Large Sedan" category.
The Hyundai Palisade was selected as the best model for the seventh consecutive year, recognized for its interior and exterior design and its wide range of standard convenience features.
In the 2026 Drivers' Choice Awards, organized by MotorWeek, the longest-running TV automotive program in the United States, the Hyundai Palisade was selected in the "Best Large Utility" category, and the Kia K4 was selected in the "Best Family Car" category.
For MotorWeek's Drivers' Choice Awards, editors focus on trends and innovation and evaluate performance, technology, efficiency, and practicality from the buyer's perspective, then announce the best vehicles in each category.
In this year's awards, the Palisade was selected in the "Best Large Utility" category, receiving high marks for its next-generation hybrid system that improves both performance and fuel economy, as well as for its various advanced convenience features. The Kia K4 earned a place in the "Best Family Car" category, recognized for its spacious and comfortable interior and smooth driving performance.
In addition, in the 2026 Best Car Awards announced by Cars.com, a U.S. automotive evaluation website, the Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid were selected as the "Best Family Car," and the Kia EV9 was selected as the "Best Electric Vehicle."
Cars.com's 2026 Best Car Awards evaluate the quality, innovation, and value of newly launched 2026 model-year vehicles.
A Hyundai Motor Group representative said, "Achieving a series of outstanding results in evaluations by leading U.S. automotive media outlets is the result of our continued efforts to strengthen product competitiveness from the customer's point of view being recognized," adding, "We will continue to enhance our competitiveness in major global markets, including the U.S. market."
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