KIA SOUL NAMED TO “BEST NEW CARS OF 2014” LIST BY ABOUT.COM
Kia’s Popular Urban Passenger Vehicle Touted as “Well Executed” with “Expensive Feel” by About.com Editors
- The all-new 2014 Kia Soul went on sale in fall of 2013
- The Soul is Kia’s third-best selling vehicle with more than 118,000 sales in 2013
IRVINE, Calif., February 21, 2014 – The all-new 2014 Kia Soul has been named to About.com’s “Best New Cars of 2014” list, marking yet another award for the iconic urban passenger vehicle. The all-new Soul was one of 12 vehicles recognized by About.com and was touted by editors for its overall execution, expensive feel and tremendous value.
“Keeping what made the first-generation Soul special while addressing areas for improvement was no easy task, but our dealers and customers – and now the editors of About.com – have confirmed that we hit the mark,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing, Kia Motors America (KMA). “With its very passionate following of fans, it was vitally important that the all-new 2014 Soul retain its iconic design, functionality, and value while providing a more premium interior and improved driving dynamics.”
The Kia Soul has always been about self-expression, and its fun and funky personality, as well as an abundance of features and amenities at a great price, won over the About.com editors. The all-new Soul displays its own individuality through a blend of unique design, fun-to-drive characteristics and premium upgrades intended to set it apart from the pack. A playful color palette, including Soul-exclusive colors such as Solar Yellow, Kale Green, and Inferno Red, along with sporty new wheel designs, pump up the dynamic equation that has made Soul such a dominate competitor in the “boxy” car segment.
“The Soul has always stood out for its style and value. With the 2014 redesign, Kia has managed to improve the driving experience without sacrificing the car’s unique features,” said Aaron Gold, About.com. “Not only is the Soul a great car, it’s a lesson to other automakers on how to update an iconic vehicle without taking away the attributes that have made it such a success.”
About.com’s award comes on the heels of big news for the Soul as KMA recently unveiled the all-new Soul Electric Vehicle at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show. The Soul EV is KMA’s first all-electric vehicle in the U.S. market and will be available in select states starting in the third quarter of 2014.
About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and surpassed the 500,000 annual sales mark for the second consecutive year in 2013 following the launch of seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the flagship K900 rear-drive sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and the Sedona minivan, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 14,000 plant and supplier jobs.
Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at http://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.