Hyundai’s chief creative exec named 2022 World Car Person of the Year

Updated Mar 07, 2022 | Same topic: Automotive Industry Updates

His designs for the Ioniq 5, EV6, and GV60 were remarkable.

The World Car Awards bestowed the ‘2022 World Car Person of the Year’ honors to Luc Donckerwolke, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke

Hyundai Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke

A total of 102 journalists from 33 countries voted for Donckerwolke to take home the prestigious award. It represents the significant contribution he has made to the global automotive industry in 2021.

Hyundai's top creative succeeded last year’s winner Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, who did a brilliant job for his own company amid the pandemic. The Japanese marque led the global car sales in 2020, snapping Volkswagen’s five-year streak.

According to the World Car Awards, Donckerwolke wowed the world with designs for the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60. For the uninitiated, the three said Korean car brands are all under a single parent company known as Hyundai Motor Group.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 front view

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Donckerwolke designed new models that flawlessly reflected the Korean automotive company’s plans towards electrification. In addition, his work on the restomod Pony and Grandeur models which paid homage to Korea’s car heritage were commended.

“I am honored to receive the Person of the Year award and would like to thank all of the jury members and the valued team at Hyundai Motor Group, without whom this would not have been possible,” said Donckerwolke.

“I have worked for many companies and brands over my career and I’m delighted at the recognition the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands have received,” he added.

Hyundai Pony front viewHyundai Grandeur front view

From left to right: Pony, Grandeur

Included in the top 5 finalists for the 2022 World Car Person of the Year are Tata Managing Director Shailesh Chandra, executive producers James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, General Motors Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter, and Ford F-150 Lightning Chief Engineer Linda Zhang.

Chandra managed to put Tata’s name on the map with his electrification plans. Similarly, Gay-Rees and Martin attracted a massive number of new fans to Formula 1 via their Drive to Survive series on streaming media service Netflix.

Meanwhile, Juechter reminded the world how sports cars should be with the launching of the 8th-gen Chevrolet Corvette. Lastly, Zhang helped Ford take one step further into the future with the introduction of the Blue Oval company’s first-ever electric full-size pickup truck.

Catch the latest in the global car industry at Philkotse.com.

Know more about Hyundai Ioniq 2024

Hyundai Ioniq

The Hyundai Ioniq 2023 Philippines is the Korean automaker's entry compact sedan segment which utilizes a liftback design. It is available in the Philippines in one variant only offered at Php 1,548,000. Under the hood, the vehicle comes with a 1.6-liter CVVT gasoline engine good for 104 horsepower and 147 Nm of torque. Complementing the engine is a lithium-ion polymer battery with an electric motor that generates 43 horsepower and 170 Nm of torque. A 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) sends power exclusively to the front wheels.

Dimensions-wise, the Ioniq spans 4,470 mm long, 1,820 mm wide, and 1,460 mm high. It also gets a wheelbase and ground clearance rated at 2,700 mm and 150 mm. Locally, this Korean compact sedan goes up against the likes of the Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic, and Mazda3

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Rex Sanchez

Rex Sanchez

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Rex Sanchez grew up in Saudi Arabia where he saw and got into the automotive scene. He started his career for an aviation company in the said region, writing about turbines and rotors which are later distributed for educational purposes. And now, he joined Philkotse.com as a staff writer. Currently, he is the youngest on the team and is more than ready to grow in the field.

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