(LEAD) Kia Telluride named 2020 World Car of the Year

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SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday its flagship sport utility vehicle Telluride took the top World Car of the Year award for this year, with its Soul electric vehicle (EV) winning the World Urban Car category.

At the New York International Auto Show streamed online on April 8 (local time), Kia's Telluride seven-seat SUV beat the Mazda CX-30 SUV and Mazda3 hatchback model to win the 2020 World Car awards, the company said in a statement.

Kia's battery-powered Soul was also named World Urban Car of the Year, beating the Mini Cooper SE and the Volkswagen T-Cross.

The Soul EV can travel up to 243 miles (391 kilometers) on a single charge, which is among the longest driving distances for EVs in the United States.

In January, the Kia Telluride also won the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year and is a Consumer Reports Top Pick in the U.S., the world's most important automobile market.

The Telluride, produced in Kia's Georgia plant, was launched in the U.S. in February last year and sold only in North American markets.

Kia has strengthened its SUV lineup with competitive models to take advantage of rising demand for recreational vehicles.

Its SUV lineup is composed of the flagship Mohave, midsize Sorento, compact Sportage, subcompact Stonic, Soul boxcar and Niro hybrid models.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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