Kia Telluride is the 2020 World Car of the Year – because the Porsche Taycan costs too much

The Kia Telluride SUV has been voted the 2020 World Car of the Year, beating the Mazda CX-30 and Mazda3 to the top gong, revealed in a YouTube video.

The path to the 2020 World Car of the Year has been upset, as so many things have, by the Covid-19 outbreak across the world so, with the 2020 New York Motor Show cancelled, the World Car of the Year Awards have become a YouTube event (below). And the winner is the Kia Telluride SUV.

We’re not  entirely sure how valid a World Car of the Year Award is when the car that wins it isn’t available in global markets but, by all accounts, the Telluride is a cracking SUV and worthy winner.

What makes the win for the Telluride, and the runner-up placings for the Mazda CX-30 and Mazda3, even more impressive is that they fought off strong competition from the new crop of EVs, especially the Porsche Taycan. Or did they?

In fact, the Telluride and Mazdas didn’t beat off the electric Porsche Taycan at all; it was banned from winning the top gong after the awards rules were tweaked to exclude more expensive cars from the top gong (aimed at stopping the Taycan making a clean sweep, we wonder?). Yes, the World Car of the Year Award is now the ‘World Car of the Year not including the most expensive cars because they are too good‘ award.

Still, the Taycan did take Performance Car of the Year and Luxury Car of the Year, there was consolation for Mazda with the Car Design of the Year award for the Mazda3, and an EV win in the Urban Car of the Year for the Kia Soul EV.

2020 World Car of the Year Award Ceremony