subject: A Hat Trick Of Wards For Kia [print this page] So the Total Off Road magazines annual wards have been published, many car manufacturers are bragging about their award(s) but, not many of them can boast a hat trick of awards like Kia can. The magazine has awarded Kia with 'Junior SUV' for the Kia Sportage, SUV of the Year for the Sorento and 4x4 manufacturer of the year for Kia as brand.
There was fierce competition from established car manufacturers in all three categories; the Sportage was up against the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Volvo XC60 and Ford Kuga. The Sorento beat brands such as Range Rover and Lexus.
The editor of Total Off Road magazine commented Kia's won a string of value for money awards from us in the past, but the new Sportage and Sorento are about much more than just that. If money were no object, they'd still be really strong contenders - even the Sorento, in a category where it's up against some absurdly expensive rivals. Fact is, it's way more practical inside than many SUVs costing twice as much. And in the style-conscious junior SUV market, the Sportage's looks blow most of its premium opposition out of the water.
The award for the Kia Sportage came as a bit of a surprise as it was only launched in November, it is available as a two wheel drive model as well as four wheel drive model. It also comes with a choice of four modern engines, two petrol and two diesels. Kias new models are not what you would call a cheap Kia, they are competitively priced yes, but the quality of the vehicle is definitely not cheap.
On receiving the awards Kia Motors UK MD said, We've always been confident about the abilities of Sportage and Sorento and are delighted that these have been recognised by one of the UK's leading off-road magazines. Being chosen as Total Off Road's manufacturer of the year is the icing on the cake.
