Final Road Tests Begin for 2026 Korea Car of the Year Contenders

On Feb. 5, finalist vehicles for the 2026 Korea Car of the Year undergo on-road evaluation at KATRI’s proving ground in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. [Photo by Oh Joo Seok]

Engines echoed through the proving ground early as final on-road evaluations began for the 2026 Korea Car of the Year. At the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) track in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, the finalists lined up in the parking area at regular intervals.

The first round of judging had narrowed the field to 18 vehicles from 10 domestic and overseas brands.

After a regular general meeting on Feb. 5, the Korea Automobile Association’s press corps moved straight to the tests. The evaluation ran across four courses: a high-speed track, a steering-handling course, an automatic emergency braking test and a special durability road. More than 40 reporters split into two groups and rotated through the vehicles for side-by-side comparisons.

The first vehicle one reporter rode in was Kia’s PV5 on the special durability course, where judges watched suspension performance and body response over rough pavement. Despite its compact, boxy shape, it absorbed impacts steadily and kept cabin noise relatively low.

Next was Hyundai’s Ioniq 9, which stood out for stable driving aided by the low center of gravity typical of electric vehicles. One reporter in the car said, “An expensive car delivers what you pay for.”

Vehicles undergo automatic emergency braking tests at K-CITY, a road-environment test site at KATRI. [Photo by Oh Joo Seok]

At K-CITY, a facility designed to mirror South Korean road conditions, reporters tested automatic emergency braking by driving at 30 kph without touching the brake and checking whether the car stopped before a dummy. Most vehicles stopped normally. In some cases, drivers braked early out of tension and ended up hitting the dummy.

Steering tests followed on a short course with consecutive curves and sharp turns. The finalists showed stable handling, with high-performance models drawing particular attention, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, Audi RS e-tron GT and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N.

The highlight was the high-speed course. Drivers pushed vehicles to as fast as 200 kph on a steeply banked track to gauge performance at speed. The green BMW M5 Touring showed quick responses backed by a powerful engine, while the Land Rover All New Defender Octa maintained a heavy, planted feel that added to stability.

KATRI’s high-speed track used for the final evaluation. [Photo by Oh Joo Seok]

With high-speed driving, steering, automatic emergency braking and durability compressed into a single day, the atmosphere remained tense throughout the final round.

The final results will be announced at the 2026 Korea Car of the Year awards ceremony on Feb. 26 at the Sebitseom Convention Hall in Banpo, Seoul.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Oh Jooseok farbrother@ajunews.com