Hyundai Motor Co.'s brand-new i20 hatchback has been named the best car in India for this year by major Indian newspapers, the automaker said Thursday.
  
The i20, known as the Elite i20 in the local market, was selected as the "Indian Car of the Year 2015" on Wednesday, local time, according to Hyundai Motor.
   
The award is annually granted by a panel composed of journalists from 10 leading newspapers in India based on price, performance, innovative features, design, fuel efficiency, safety and consumer assessment.
   
This marked the second straight year that a Hyundai Motor vehicle has been given the award following last year's Grand i10 model. It's the first time that the recognition is given to the same motor company for two years in a row. 
   
"In particular, it is more meaningful this year in that the i20 won the honor in competition with Honda's City and Maruti Suzuki's Ciaz, which were also on the final list," the company said in a press release. 
   
The i20 hatchback shows off the Hyundai Motor's signature hexagonal front grills and the refined Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design, appealing to younger consumers with its sporty and dynamic image.
   
Hyundai Motor said that it tried to reflect the tastes of consumers in India from its development stage. For four months since its debut, Hyundai has sold about 60,000 units of the model in India.
   
In a separate press release, Hyundai Motor said that its Genesis premium sedan and Sonata, along with its affiliate Kia Motor's three other models -- the New K9, Soul electric vehicle, GT4 Stinger -- have received the 2014 Good Design awards in the transportation sector. 
   
The award is given jointly by the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Center of Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies every year for outstanding designs of products including computers, furniture and vehicles. (Yonhap)