Kia Earns 5 Spots on 2021 Editor’s Choice Awards List
Kia Earns 5 Spots on the Car and Driver: 2021 Editor's Choice Awards List
The Car and Driver 2021 Editor’s Choice Award List has been released, and the Telluride, Sorento, Soul, K5 and Rio all earned top spot in their respective categories. The awardees that are picked from a field of over 400 vehicles are chosen by Car and Driver:
- thorough instrumented testing
- editors’ subjective evaluations of each vehicle’s performance
- the ranking each vehicle earns within its market segment
- vehicle value
- how well it accomplishes its intended purpose.
"At Kia, we are continuously striving toward driver satisfaction, quality and overall value, and are honoured to have vehicles across the lineup recognized by Car and Driver. Having not just one, but five models on the 2021 Editor's Choice list speaks to our commitment to offering award-winning vehicles in any segment.” - said Sean Yoon, president and CEO, Kia Motors America, Kia Motors North America.
Let’s take a quick look at each award-winning Kia vehicle and what elevated them above the competition.
Telluride
Earning a perfect 10/10 score from Car and Driver the Telluride is clearly a favourite in the mid-size SUV segment. Editors note that the Telluride completely outclasses the competition and feels like a luxury brand three-row SUV at a budget cost that isn’t achievable for other vehicles in the segment. Because of the incredible value, even the fully loaded SX trim is a strong and affordable recommendation from the Car and Driver Editors. Check out the full breakdown here.
Sorento
The all-new 2021 Kia Sorento offers a redesigned and more squared-off exterior design and is now on a larger powertrain. Perhaps the biggest difference with the 2021 model is the addition of hybrids. The Sorento is completely customizable across 8 trim levels, 2 of which give you a hybrid option. An 8 inch or optional 10-inch touchscreen display finishes a futuristic dash design in addition to the overflowing safety and convenience features. Here is the full review.
Soul
The undeniably quirky and fun Kia Soul earned a top spot in the subcompact SUV segment. The Soul features two engine options with a fuel-efficient CVT base engine, or a 201 Horsepower turbo option for your inner race car driver. The box-like shape of the Soul gives it unrivalled storage, making it a good fit for families and anyone who likes to haul around lots of cargo. See the Car and Driver's full review for yourself.
K5
The old Kia Optima got a serious facelift this year in the form of the Kia K5. Offering much more bold exterior styling, the K5 comes in a respectably powerful 180 hp base engine and a thrill-inducing 290 Horsepower GT edition. Similar to the Telluride, the quality of the interior design and material finish leaves nothing but extremely good impressions. Wood trim on the dash, panoramic sunroof, and ambient interior lighting helps the K5 punch well above its price. The Full K5 Review can be found here.
Rio
Last but certainly not least, we have the Kia Rio. Earning a solid 9/10 from Car and Driver, the Rio is just as impressive as the previous models we’ve covered. Though less glamorous, the Rio truly impresses with its great fuel economy, simple and elegant design and incredible price point. Fully loading a Rio will only cost around $1500 more than the base model, which makes it a very popular option. As with the other Kia’s we have covered, the Rio also includes an industry best 5 year/100,000 fully comprehensive warranty. The Car and Driver Rio review can be found here.