Inside the Final Road Tests for South Korea’s 2026 Car of the Year

Engines were already roaring early in the morning at the final on-road evaluation for the 2026 Korea Car of the Year. At the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) proving ground in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, the finalist vehicles lined up in the parking area at regular intervals.

In the first round, 18 vehicles from 10 domestic and overseas brands advanced to the final list.

After holding a regular general meeting that morning, members of the Korea Automobile Journalists Association moved straight to the track for the road tests. The evaluation ran across four courses: a high-speed circuit, a steering-handling course, an automatic emergency braking test and a special durability road. About 40 reporters split into two groups and rotated through the vehicles for side-by-side comparisons.

The first vehicle tested by a reporter on site was Kia’s PV5. On the special durability road, which features rough pavement, the focus was on suspension performance and body response. Though it is a relatively compact boxy vehicle, it absorbed bumps steadily, and cabin noise was not pronounced.

Next was Hyundai Motor’s Ioniq 9. Its stable driving, supported by the low center of gravity typical of electric vehicles, stood out. One reporter riding along said, “An expensive car delivers what you pay for.” At K-CITY, a test facility at KATRI designed to replicate South Korean road conditions, reporters conducted automatic emergency braking tests. They drove at 30 kph without touching the brake to see whether the vehicles would stop in front of a dummy. Most vehicles stopped normally, though drivers occasionally hit the brake out of tension.

Steering performance tests followed, with vehicles pushed through sharp turns to check handling. Despite a short course with consecutive curves, the finalists showed stable performance. High-performance models such as the Mercedes-AMG GT, Audi RS e-tron GT and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N were especially notable.

The highlight for many was the high-speed course. On a banked track, drivers increased speed to as much as 200 kph to assess high-speed capability. The BMW Touring M5, with its distinctive green exterior, showed quick responses backed by a powerful engine. The Land Rover All New Defender Octa maintained a heavy, planted feel at speed. Because the final round compressed high-speed driving, steering, automatic emergency braking and durability into a single day, the atmosphere remained tense throughout. 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.

Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.