The Korean Automobile Journalists Association announced on April 4th that the BMW New 530e has been selected as the Car of the Month for April 2024.
The selection committee under the association evaluates new cars and face-lifted models launched from the 1st to the end of the previous month to announce the Car of the Month. The assessments cover five categories: ▲ interior/exterior design and emotional quality ▲ safety and convenience features ▲ power performance ▲ energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions ▲ product desirability and purchase intention.
Among the new cars launched last month, the BMW New 530e, Hyundai’s The New Ioniq 5, and the Hyundai Staria Hybrid (in alphabetical order) were nominated for Car of the Month, and after fierce competition, the BMW New 530e was ultimately selected with a score of 36 points (out of 50).
The BMW New 530e received an excellent score of 8 points (out of 10) in the safety and convenience features category, while scoring 7.7 points in both interior/exterior design and emotional quality, and power performance.
The Chairperson Jung Ji-yeon stated, “The BMW New 530e is a plug-in hybrid sedan that combines the efficiency of a hybrid vehicle with the eco-friendliness of an electric car. It is equipped with a 184 horsepower electric motor, which provides a 63% increase in output compared to the previous model, and when fully charged, it can travel up to 73 km using only electric power.”
Since 2019, the Korean Automobile Journalists Association has been selecting and announcing the Car of the Month, with last month’s honor going to the Mercedes-Benz All-New CLE Coupe.
The association announces the results of the Car of the Month selection on its website (www.kaja.org). Vehicles selected as Car of the Month gain a special privilege of directly entering the final round of judging for Car of the Year without going through the preliminary phases.
Meanwhile, the Korean Automobile Journalists Association consists of 58 media outlets, including leading daily newspapers, broadcasting companies, telecommunications, online platforms, and automotive magazines, with about 200 journalists affiliated.
Founded in August 2010, the Korean Automobile Journalists Association aims to nurture the media that contribute to the development of the automotive industry, promote the establishment of a proper automotive culture, enhance the quality of automotive journalists, and encourage mutual exchange among members.
The association selects and announces the ‘Car of the Year (COTY)’ each year, hosting various events such as symposiums, seminars, tech tours, and automotive awards to discuss current automotive issues and seek alternatives.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr