Three jurors of the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) award have just travelled to Seoul, South Korea to present the supreme award to Hyundai executives, conduct interviews and tour the world’s largest automotive manufacturing facility.
The three jurors are Monica Secondino, founder of Donne in Auto and a feature writer for Il Fatto Quotidiano, Auto and Motor 1 Italia, based in Milan, Italy; Shereen Shabnam, editor-in-chief of Global Trend Monitor magazine based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Tanya Gazdik, automotive editor at MediaPost and a contributor to WardsAuto and A Girl’s Guide to Cars, based in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
They represented the 85 women motoring journalists from 54 countries who voted for this year’s winners.
The Hyundai Santa Fe was chosen as the WWCOTY Supreme Winner in March, after first being selected as Best Large SUV.
The trio conducted interviews with Hae In Kim, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Hyundai Motor Company, and presented her with the award.
They also traveled to Hyundai Motorstudio Hanam, a brand experience space for Hyundai Motor Company located within Starfield Hanam mall, where they interviewed Taewook Choi, senior researcher, Hyundai exterior design team.
The trip also included a visit to the port city of Ulsan, where they toured Hyundai’s massive manufacturing complex. It is renowned as the world's largest automobile plant.
The facility encompasses five factories, an engine and transmission plant and even its own port for shipping vehicles.The plant covers 4.8 million square meters (1,200 acres) and can produce over 1.5 million vehicles annually, with a daily output of 5,600 cars.
The jurors also toured the Hyundai Heritage Hall,a space dedicated to showcasing the company's history and brand heritage. It is located within the Ulsan Plant's Culture Center.The hall features an exhibition that traces Hyundai's beginnings at the Ulsan Plant to its current position as one of the largest automotive companies globally.
WWCOTY's Kiwi start
Women's Worldwide Car of the Year is the only car awards group in the world comprised exclusively of women motoring journalists. It was created by New Zealand motoring journalist Sandy Myhre in 2009. She remains honorary president, while Marta García is executive president.
The award "aims to recognise the best cars of the year and to give a voice to women in the automotive world". The voting criteria are based on the same principles that guide any driver when choosing a car, say the organisers.
"However, beyond choosing the best cars of the year, our goal is also to give visibility to women in the automotive world and to contribute to making women’s voices heard on all continents because mobility for a woman means access to many personal and professional possibilities."