Kia UK has won two awards at the 2023 What Car? Car of the Year Awards, including a major category win for the Kia Sportage.

Kia Sportage: Family SUV of the Year

The Kia Sportage was named ‘Family SUV of the Year’ by What Car? magazine’s judging panel, ahead of all other rivals in the most popular and hotly contested vehicle segment in the UK.

The judging panel for the awards, made up of the magazine’s team of expert road testers, commented: “We’ve group tested the Kia Sportage extensively in various guises over the last 12 months, and it’s emerged victorious every time. But when you consider its competitive pricing, all of the equipment that you get as standard and how complete a car the Sportage is, it’s easy to see why. It strikes a near-perfect balance between agility and comfort, which gets it off to a great start against any rival. Meanwhile the interior neatly blends practicality with style.”

Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK Limited, commented: “We’re proud to see the Sportage recognised by What Car? as the ideal family vehicle. As our best-selling model in the UK, it’s incredibly popular with buyers looking for a car that covers all the bases, at a range of different price points. Now offering hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the model perfectly represents our leadership in electrification and also gives customers greater choice.”

The latest Kia Sportage was introduced at the start of 2022. It was the UK’s sixth best-selling new car last year, with 29,655 units of the popular family SUV finding homes with UK buyers through 2022. This version is the first in five generations of Sportage to offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

Kia EV9: Reader Award

Meanwhile, the Kia EV9 was voted winner of the ‘Reader Award’. This trophy is voted for by What Car? readers, who named the upcoming EV9 as their most highly anticipated new car of 2023.

“We asked What Car? readers to name the upcoming model that they’re most excited about from a 14-car shortlist, with each of the contenders given equal promotion via our website and social media channels. But despite this, the Kia EV9 emerged victorious after attracting more than twice as many votes as the second-placed car.

“This is the second time in three years that Kia has won this award, with the EV6 taking top spot in 2021. If the EV9 turns out to be as good as that car, it will be truly special.”

The Kia EV9 is due to be revealed later in 2023, with UK deliveries set to commence towards the end of the year. The large electric SUV is the next EV due to be launched under the brand’s ‘Plan S’ long-term strategy for electrification leadership. It follows the Kia EV6 (named What Car? Car of the Year in 2022) and all-new Kia Niro EV as one of nine Kia EVs due to launch in the UK between 2021 and 2027.

The What Car? Car of the Year Awards

Each year, the What Car? Car of the Year Awards names the best new cars across several vehicle categories. To be eligible for the awards, a car must have been tested back-to-back with its rivals, on UK roads and at a dedicated test facility, by What Car?’s team of road testers.

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