Honda has extended its outstanding winning streak with success in the 2021 World Car Awards. The Honda e added the World Urban Car of the Year title to its growing list of recent prestigious accolades, as well as being shortlisted in the top three of the overall World Car of the Year award.
The Honda Jazz e:HEV also featured in the top three for the World Urban Car prize, as the Japanese brand dominated the category.
Both the compact city cars are playing an important role in Honda’s commitment to electrify 100% of its mainstream European automobile range by 2022.
The Honda e, which is the brand’s first fully electric vehicle (EV) for Europe, was awarded the 2021 World Urban Car of the Year accolade by a panel of 93 international journalists from 28 countries.
The World Car Awards programme recognises excellence in Urban, Luxury, Performance and Design categories, with the Honda e recognised for its responsive and fun driving experience, exceptional in-car technology and connectivity, and stand-out contemporary design.
Winning accolades around the world, the Honda e continues to set global benchmarks for contemporary car design and advanced e-mobility.
Other successes for the popular compact EV include two ‘Red Dot’ awards for outstanding design, including ‘Best of the Best 2020’, and induction into the world-renowned Red Dot museum in Germany.
The car, which made its debut as the Honda e Prototype at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019, also recently received the ‘ECOBEST’ title from the AUTOBEST jury and was named overall winner at the German Car of the Year 2021 awards with additional wins in the ‘New Energy’ category. Earlier this year it was also crowned ‘Best EV’ in the Women’s World Car of the Year 2021 awards.
Honda e Large Project Leader, Tomofumi Ichinose, said: “We are truly honoured to receive such a prestigious award and would like to thank the judges on behalf of all Honda teams who strived to create this unique, advanced urban EV model.
“Honda e is an outstanding package for customers who want their car to play a central role in creating a seamless connection between various facets of their lives, while answering the challenge of zero-emission urban mobility.
“At the same time, our team wanted to create a design that was appealing to customers in a friendly, human way, not a cold and soulless piece of machinery.”
In addition to the success of the Honda e, the new hybrid-only Jazz e:HEV was also on the three-car shortlist for the World Urban Car award. The judging panel praised the Jazz for its efficient and responsive hybrid powertrain, clever packaging and impressive interior space and exceptional levels of comfort.
The Jazz and Jazz Crosstar were recently recognised for achieving an outstanding balance of functionality, design and safety by the prestigious Red Dot Awards 2021, receiving the highly coveted ‘Product Design’ award.
This internationally renowned accolade is only bestowed upon the highest quality products that excel in product, brand and communication design categories.
Tom Gardner, Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe said: “We are delighted with this result and for the continuing support of the World Car Awards organisation. When we develop our new products, we always strive to create something that is appreciated beyond just its specification.
“Cars which combine the core values of the Honda brand, while bringing new benefits for today. Cars that are different and always have the customer at their centre.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see these efforts recognised by the World Car Awards jury and we thank them for this accolade.”
The World Car Awards requires eligible vehicles to be on-sale in at least two major markets on two separate continents between 1st May 2020 and 1st May 2021. In addition the vehicle must be produced in volumes of at least 5,000 units per year, be a maximum of 4.20 meters in overall length and be approved for operation on public roads.
Now in its 17th year, the award aims to reflect the reality of what car owners around the world need, as well as to recognise, reward and inspire excellence, leadership and innovation in a rapidly changing automotive industry.
