**Toyoda Akio, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, selected as Person of the Year**
Korea Toyota Motor announced on the 19th that it won awards in four categories at the ‘2025 Korea Car of the Year’ ceremony hosted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association (AWAK) on the 18th.
In the categories of MPV and Luxury, Lexus’s flagship MPV ‘LM 500h’ won two awards. The ‘2025 Camry’ received the Hybrid Sedan of the Year award, and Toyoda Akio, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, was selected as Person of the Year.
The Lexus LM 500h, first launched in Korea in July last year, is a flagship MPV that boasts a concept of ‘graceful elegance,’ featuring a unique exterior design, luxury interior for VIPs, and spacious cabin. It incorporates advanced technology to provide comfort and a business-friendly environment on the move. The vehicle includes a hybrid system that delivers powerful performance and high fuel efficiency, with a focus on quietness and ride comfort.
Toyota’s 2025 Camry is the ninth-generation fully redesigned model of the midsize sedan Camry, loved by customers worldwide for over 40 years. Built on Toyota’s TNGA-K platform, it significantly enhances design, performance, and features the latest 5th generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS) achieving a total system output of 227 horsepower and excellent fuel economy of 17.1 km/liter (combined).
Chairman Akio, acknowledged as Person of the Year, was recognized for his contributions to promoting the charm of motorsports and advancing the local automotive culture by co-hosting the ‘Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival’ with Hyundai Motor. He became the first foreign recipient of the award since its inception in 2021, adding significance to his recognition.
During the ceremony, Yamamoto Masahiro, head of Toyota Motor Corporation’s accounting department and overall manager for Korea and Mongolia, attended on behalf of Chairman Akio and delivered his acceptance remarks. Chairman Akio expressed his gratitude, saying, “I deeply appreciate the journalists who chose me regardless of nationality in support of the Korean automobile industry’s development,” and shared that last year was a memorable year through meaningful exchanges with car enthusiasts in Korea. He pledged to continue efforts to make the company loved in Korea and to contribute to the development of motorsports in Asia.