“There is no car to drop” 2021 JoongAng Ilbo COTY All 18 cars headed to the finals

“I can’t see a car that could be dropped in the first round. All 18 models are deserving of the second round of screening.”
Lim Hong-jae, president of Kookmin University, said, “The JoongAng Ilbo Car of the Year (COTY),” which marks the 12th time this year. The opinions of the remaining 13 judges also agreed. As a result, in 2021, the JoongAng Ilbo COTY competed in the second screening of 18 car models next month.
On the 19th, the first evaluation of COTY was held. This year’s JoongAng Ilbo COTY participated in 10 brands and 18 models of new cars (including partial changes) launched last year. Kia Sorento Carnival, Jaguar Land Rover All New Defender, Mercedes-Benz E-Class GLS, Volvo S90, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and 5 Series, Chevrolet Trail Blazer, Jeep Gladiator, Porsche 911 Turbo S Coupe and Thai Cannes 4S, Volkswagen Jetta and Touareg, Hyundai Motors Avante and Tucson, and Genesis G80 and GV70 (in order of screening). Of the 18, nine are sedans, and the rest are SUVs and minivans and pickup trucks. Porsche Taycan 4S is the only electric car included.

The 14 judges unanimously decided to put all 18 car models on the second screening. A common review was that the car model released in this year’s COTY was a model representing each segment, and all were excellent in terms of design and performance. Chairman Lim Hong-jae said, “It is better to hide the superiority and inferiority in the second driving performance evaluation.”

As in last year, the first evaluation of COTY on this day omitted the announcement of the automaker, and was immediately conducted as a Q&A. This is because the panel of judges previously deliberated through the documents submitted by each company. The document review carefully examined design, safety, and convenience.

The time given for each participating vehicle was 15 minutes. From the beginning to the end, there was a feeling of tension with sharp inquiries and heated answers. The first Q&A review, which started at 10 am, ended only at 5 pm. After that, the judges carefully graded. For the first evaluation, 20 points each were allocated in five areas of innovation, convenience, future expandability, completeness, and value based on a 100-point scale.

The vehicle model that received the highest score in the first round was the Genesis G80. Next was GV70, Avante, Taycan 4S, E-Class, and 5 Series. In addition, the S90, 911 Turbo S, Touareg and Carnival also received generous points.
Professor Koo Sang of Hongik University evaluated the G80 as “the interior design and technical completion are very high.” UNIST Professor Jeong Yeon-woo gave a high score to the GV70, saying, “The simple and luxurious interior stands out with Genesis’ first sub-SUV design.”

Choi Jong-seok, a professional racer who gave the highest score to Avante, gave generous evaluation in all areas including convenience. Yong-joo Kwon, an automobile columnist, gave the Porsche Taycan 4S the highest point, saying, “It is a future-oriented high-performance vehicle that has important value in its role in pioneering the market.”

Jung-ho Yang, a researcher at Hankook Tire, gave a generous score to the Mercedes E-Class, which added features related to driver safety. Both committee members evaluated that “detailed safety devices such as the ability to push the seat inward in case of a side collision and the sound transmission to protect the eardrum stand out.” Kang Byung-hui, a professional racer, evaluated the BMW 5 Series as “the driving satisfaction is the best in its class.”

Chairman Lim Hong-jae gave high marks to the Volvo S90, which added a lot of safety-related features. Ko Tae-bong, head of the Hi Investment & Securities Research Center, gave a generous score to Touareg, saying, “The autonomous driving function is the highest among Volkswagen cars.” In addition, Autoview PD Kim Ki-tae gave the highest score for the Kia Carnival, saying, “It has the highest level of convenience and completeness that is not insufficient even compared to imported minivans.”

The primary evaluation score accounts for 10% of the overall evaluation. So, it is possible to reverse sufficiently in the actual driving performance evaluation held next month.

Like last year, the 2021 JoongAng Ilbo COTY will select awards in seven categories, including Car of the Year. The awards in each category include the Imported Car of the Year (or the Domestic Car of the Year), as well as the Future Mobility·Design·Performance·Utility·Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)·luxury.

Started in 2010, JoongAng Ilbo COTY has been recognized for its authority and reputation among automobile awards held in Korea. As it has the highest authority, the 14 judges covered various fields. Professional racers, professors, analysts, including researchers at Korea Automobile Research Institute and three tire companies (Korea, Kumho, and Nexen) participated. Judge Choi Jong-suk of this year has joined.

The second on-site screening will be conducted at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority Automobile Safety Research Institute for two days starting from the 5th of next month. The jury will select the winning vehicle for each category through actual vehicle driving and evaluation of various advanced functions. The JoongAng Ilbo COTY awards ceremony is scheduled to be held at Shilla Hotel on April 1.

Reporter Kim Young-joo [email protected]