[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor’s Kona SUV and Genesis G70 sedan won the coveted North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards at the Detroit auto show, the carmaker said on Jan. 15.

The Genesis G70 was chosen over Honda Motor’s Insight and Volvo Cars’ S60 sedan by the automotive media jury to win the car award for 2019, with the Kona subcompact crossover utility vehicle and its all electric version grabbing the utility vehicle title, Hyundai said in a statement. 

“For a still-young brand, winning this highly prestigious award, as well as the other significant awards the G70 has collected, will certainly give Genesis a presence boost in the marketplace,” Erwin Raphael, executive director at Genesis Motor America, said in the statement.

The G70, a compact sports luxury sedan, beat archrivals such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in driver engagement and value for money.

Calling the G70 a game changer for the sedan market, NACTOY President Lauren Fix said the “sophisticated and impressive vehicle delivers an inspired driving experience, safety and technology at a reasonable price.”

  “Kona is an affordable, stylish and functional compact CUV, tailored to the needs of customers who pursue active lifestyles of all kinds,” Brian Smith, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America, said.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)