Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun poses next to the company's award-winning IONIQ 5 EV. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

By Kim Hyun-bin

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has been selected to win the MotorTrend Person of the Year award, according to the company, Thursday.

The MotorTrend Power List ranks the 50 most influential people in the global automotive industry each year. During the past five years, Chung has risen progressively from his first appearance on the power list at No. 12 in 2018 to No. 5 in 2022 and now No. 1 in 2023.

MotorTrend named Chung the Person of the Year for "leading Hyundai Motor Group into a new age." It also highlighted the exceptional caliber of the vehicles developed under Chung's watch, stating: "The vehicles coming out of Hyundai Motor Group are notable for their eye-catching design, quality, clever packaging and good value ― and they are proving increasingly difficult to beat."

Hyundai Motor Group's vehicle models have also received MotorTrend awards, including the Genesis G90 being hailed as the automotive media brand's 2023 Car of the Year, and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 being named its 2023 SUV of the Year. Previously, the Genesis GV70 and Kia Telluride took similar honors.

In addition, MotorTrend extolled Chung's vision for the future. It recognized his "big-picture" thinking and his ability to initiate solutions traditionally regarded as beyond the bounds of the automotive industry.

"As executive chair, Chung is putting his stamp on the company's future. His grasp of where the world and the industry are headed, combined with a desire to make the planet a better place, spurs a broader mission to become a leader in electric vehicles and advanced mobility," MotorTrend said. It also highlighted the group's pioneering role in smart city planning and a myriad of mobility solutions, including robots and advanced air mobility (AAM).

"In that sense, he does his father and grandfather proud, pushing the entire Hyundai Motor Group to new levels. The man and his vision, and the juggernaut that his company is becoming, loom loud and large. For his vision and leadership, then, Euisun Chung is our 2023 MotorTrend Person of the Year," MotorTrend added.

Also ranked on MotorTrend's Power List are Hyundai Motor Group President and Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke (3), Hyundai Motor Company (10) President and Global Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz, Hyundai Global Design Center Head and Executive Vice President Lee Sang-yup (28) and Kia Global Design Center Head and Executive Vice President Karim Habib (44).

"We must take on challenges based on trust, and the positive results must lead to even stronger trust. No great product or technology is complete without the trust of our customers," Chung said at a New Year's town hall meeting earlier this month. "Quality is a priority for all of us. From product planning to design, production, sales and after-sales maintenance, all teams and employees must place quality and the customer as the top priority. We must all go above and beyond to earn the respect and loyalty of our customers."

The 2023 MotorTrend Power List is available online today and will be published in the U.S. automotive magazine's March print issue.