Kia named Best Manufacturer at 2023 Autocar Awards
- Autocar names Kia its ‘Best Manufacturer’ for 2023
- Korean firm commended for its diverse model line-up and forward-thinking attitude
- Upcoming EV9 to further boost Kia’s EV line-up
Kia has been named ‘Best Manufacturer’ at the 2023 Autocar Awards, following a record-breaking 2022 and start to 2023.
Celebrated at a unique ceremony at the Silverstone Wing, the Autocar Awards celebrate the best of the automotive world, as well as recognising individual excellence throughout the industry.
Kia’s diverse range of vehicles have had a confident start to 2023, with the all-new Niro and Sportage continuing to cement themselves as class leaders. Both models regularly contribute to making Kia the most popular brand in the C-SUV segment – and are now among the UK’s top 10 best-selling models overall. Kia’s range of EVs also continues to impress, with the EV6, Niro EV and Soul EV all receiving regular praise from critics and customers alike. It’s not only Kia’s award-winning products which hailed the win, it’s also the brand’s customer experience quality including first class ratings and the selection of convenience services and apps.
Mark Tisshaw, Editor of Autocar, commented: “It seems like a very long time since any of us have thought of Kia as ‘that funny budget car brand from Korea’. What a transformation Kia has been through. Very few brands of Kia’s size can boast product lines half as up-to-date. Both the totemic EV6 and Sorento family SUV were launched in 2021, and still feel box-fresh. The sheer confidence exuded by the design of the Niro and Sportage was what really impressed, and made it so obvious that this year’s Best Manufacturer award could go nowhere else.”
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK, said: “The past year has been fantastic for Kia. Record sales in excess of 100,000 in 2022 meant we entered the year with full confidence in our model line-up, with each vehicle appealing to different customers. Everybody at Kia and throughout our nationwide dealer network is fully committed to ensuring we maintain this impressive trajectory, and I am thankful for the hard work and dedication shown by the entire Kia team. I would like to thank the Autocar judges for recognising this commitment by naming us their ‘Best Manufacturer’ for 2023. The next 12 months will be equally as exciting for Kia as we welcome EV9, and continue our journey to becoming a leader in electrification.”
With plans to introduce a line-up of 15 fully-electric vehicles by 2027, Kia shows no signs of slowing down, and aims to further strengthen its position as a leading brand in the global EV market. The EV9, arriving in the UK later this year, is developed on the company’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and will usher in a new era of sophisticated, high-technology, sustainable mobility for Kia.
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