Hyundai Kona and Kona Electric CUV Win Prestigious 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™

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Jan 14, 2019, 10:56 ET

DETROIT, Jan. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2019 Hyundai Kona and Kona Electric CUV models were together named the winner of the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™ by the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year automotive media jury. This is the first time that a Hyundai CUV model has won the Utility Vehicle of the Year category. The winner of the CUV category is announced every year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

William Lee (right), president & CEO, Hyundai North America and Brian Smith (left), chief operating officer, Hyundai Motor America, celebrate after the 2019 Hyundai Kona and Kona Electric CUV models win the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™ awarded by the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year automotive media jury. This is the first time that a Hyundai CUV model has won the Utility Vehicle of the Year category. The winner of the CUV category is announced every year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"We couldn't be more proud of our innovative new Kona and Kona Electric crossover winning the prestigious North American Utility Vehicle of the Year," said Brian Smith, chief operating officer, Hyundai Motor America. "Kona is an affordable, stylish and functional compact CUV, tailored to the needs of customers who pursue active lifestyles of all kinds. It's setting new standards for its segment, with appealing design, cutting-edge connectivity and class-leading available safety features. We know our customers are going to agree with the top media confirming this impressive award."

The 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year jury is made up of an independent panel of top journalists and analysts based in the United States and Canada. Since 1994, the organization has recognized top cars, trucks, and utility vehicles. This year's jury of 54 media outlets includes legacy newspapers, magazine experts, broadcast veterans, digital columnists and freelance media.

Both the Kona and Kona Electric are built on all-new CUV platforms, offering versatility to consumers with active lifestyles of all kinds. Kona was developed with a focus on enhanced driving dynamics and responsive performance for a variety of urban and multi-surface driving conditions. Kona Electric's estimated range is an impressive 258 miles and offers standard fast-charging capability, a feature for which many competitors charge extra. The Kona Electric platform has been developed to give customers CUV-like ground clearance and an elevated, command seating position to provide better visibility and comfort on long journeys, as well as easy ingress and egress.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence, and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs, and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance — our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide, and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.

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