The minister of Industry delivers to the Hyundai Kona Award ABC the Best Car of the Year in Spain by 2019
Mrs. Minister of Industry, ambassador of the Republic of Korea, director general of Traffic, sr. President and ceo of Hyundai, authorities, sars. and sres.
Many thanks to you all for joining us this afternoon at the Prize-giving ABC the Best Car of the Year 2019.
throughout its history, this House has always looked for excellence not only in journalism, but also in each and every one of the awards that we grant. Proof of this is this Award for Best Car of the Year, that takes nothing less that 47 years of driving vehicles that, by their technology, aesthetics and performance, are called to dominate the market. And in this edition, the winner was the Hyundai Kona.
the prestige of The Award the ABC the Best Car of the Year is transferred to the models award winners and becomes a guarantee for those looking to buy a tourism. Hence the apparent impact of the award in the sales figures. In the minds of all follow the Renault 5, the first winner in the year 1972, or the Seat Ibiza, the winner in last year’s edition.
In the course of almost half a century of unconditional support to the automotive sector, ABC has been awarded models that have been highlighted by its technology and performance, anticipating with frequency trends that have been imposed on the market. Hence the credit of this award, the result of the professionalism and rigor of the participants and Jury, to whom I want to thank especially for his excellent work.
The winner of this year, the Hyundai Kona, it is an SUV of medium size and can boast of being the first model that gets in their range, a version one hundred percent electric.
A motorization, the electric, call to star in the future of the automotive industry, in order to reduce polluting emissions and contribute to sustainable development of the planet. In fact, most of the brands prepare versions electrified each one of their models, in order to comply with the environmental requirements imposed by the different administrations.
At this point arises the debate between the protection of our environment, that we all desire, and the freedom of trade and movement to the aspiring modern societies. A crossroads that we occupy and we are concerned and about which the media try to throw light, as they do regularly, the pages engine that ABC published Thursday. Urges to bring order, rationality and anticipation in a challenge that impacts fully in our daily lives and in our economy.
Dear friends, the act of delivery of the Award the ABC the Best Car of the Year is not only a tribute to a vehicle. It is, above all, a well-deserved recognition to the automotive industry, a sector in which Spain is leading the world level, and to which we must join and support.
Let me recall some data is incontrovertible: the motor industry contributes 10 per cent of the national Gross domestic Product, gives employment to 9 per cent of the active population. At the end of 2017, achieved a surplus of 16.495 billion euros and 13,500 million until November 2018. Reports to the State coffers over 28 million euros via tax revenues. The production of vehicles in 2018 has been more than two million eight hundred thousand, and the registrations were of one million three hundred twenty-one thousand, 7 percent more than in 2017.
a Few program highlights that confirm that we are in a sector solid and stable.
at the close of the half-hundred of models that have debuted in the past year on the road, ABC preseleccionó to eight candidates to be eligible for the Award for Best Car of the Year.
The competition between them was intense, fueled both by users of the website, as well as by the prestigious members of the Jury, that have had the last word. They were the ones who gave the victory, merit, quality, innovation and performance, the Hyundai Kona.
My congratulations to the winner. Congratulations also to the rest of the competitors. Thank you all for celebrate it in this House of ABC. And my very special thanks to the Minister for joining us in this celebration of the automotive sector.
thanks to all
