Ireland’s Motoring Journalists Vote the KIA E-Soul as their Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year 2020

For the first time ever, a full electric vehicle has taken the overall award at the Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year for 2020. KIA’s e-Soul, having claimed two category awards, was named as the outright winner of this prestigious accolade.

The black-tie awards ceremony held at the Westin Hotel in Dublin, gathered people from Ireland’s leading car brands, importers, distributors and other motoring dignitaries, where the votes of thirty-two Irish motoring journalists, from print, online and broadcasting would individually nominate and collectively select winners from ten categories, containing fifty-five new cars launched in Ireland this year., 

The ten category winners were all in the running for the top honour with the judging panel of 32 Irish motoring journalists electing the Kia e-Soul by a slim margin. Having already taken two category awards earlier on the night, Continental Tyres Irish Compact Car of the Year and Continental Tyres Irish Green/Efficient Car of the Year, the KIA e-Soul became the first ever electric car to take the Irish Car of the Year title. Last year’s 2019 Irish Car of the Year award was won by the Volvo XC40.

Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Anthony Conlon said: “Congratulations to the Kia team on a very worthy win, I am sure that the Irish Car of the Year title will be a huge boost for the e-Soul during the busy January car sales period.”

Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Bob Flavin said: “"This is the first time that an electric car has won Irish Car of the Year, a real sign of things to come I think. Regardless of its fuel type, the e-Soul came out as the clear winner and was hugely popular with my motoring journalist colleagues".

Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres said about the awards: “The advice of the Irish Car of the Year jurors is instrumental in helping consumers here to make sense of the ever-growing complexity of the cars we drive – both from the point of view of the increased fuel options and the myriad of new safety features and technologies that are found on even the entry level models of all brands”.

The category winners:

1. Continental Tyres Irish Compact Car of the Year: Kia e-Soul
2. Continental Tyres Irish Medium Car of the Year: Toyota Corolla
3. Continental Tyres Irish Large Car of the Year: Peugeot 508
4. Continental Tyres Irish Compact SUV of the Year: Volkswagen T-Cross
5. Continental Tyres Irish Medium SUV of the Year: Audi Q3
6. Continental Tyres Irish Large SUV of the Year: SEAT Tarraco
7. Continental Tyres Irish Hot Hatchback of the Year: Ford Focus ST
8. Continental Tyres Irish Performance / Luxury Car of the Year: Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV
9. Continental Tyres Irish Green / Efficient Car of the Year:  Kia e-Soul
10. Continental Tyres Irish MPV of the Year: Peugeot Rifter

The joint entry of Citroen Berlingo/Opel Combo Cargo/Peugeot Partner was voted as the Continental Tyres Irish Van of the Year 2020.