Kia Soul named finalist for ‘World Car of the Year’ and ‘World Car Design of the Year’

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2010-02-02 18:49

서울--(뉴스와이어)--The popular Kia Soul urban crossover vehicle has been named by the World Car Awards as a finalist for its prestigious ‘World Car of the Year’ and ‘World Car Design of the Year’ awards. Winners will be announced at the 2010 World Car Awards press conference on Thursday, April 1 at the New York International Auto Show.

A jury of 59 distinguished international automotive journalists from 25 countries across the globe selected the top ten finalists for ‘World Car of the Year’ by secret ballot, based on their experience with each candidate as part of their professional work. The jury members constitute a balance of representation from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, as well as other parts of the world. All hold significant stature within their own regions and countries.

Meanwhile, Kia Soul was also selected as one of four finalists for the ‘2010 World Car Design of the Year’ award. Cars eligible for the award are taken from the list of 30 ‘World Car of the Year’ candidates nominated by the World Car jurors. The World Car Design of the Year category, and the corresponding award, is meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries.

“Kia is honored to be recognized by the esteemed World Car jurors for our Soul crossover urban vehicle. Since its introduction in early 2009, the Kia Soul has dramatically transformed perceptions of the Kia brand in many markets around the world. It appeals especially to the young, and the young-at-heart, and is a car that challenges consumers to rethink everything they know about Kia vehicles,” said Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing, Kia Motors Corporation.

Along the way, the Soul has picked up more than 30 awards and accolades from influential motoring organizations and media outlets around the world, including the ‘red dot’ Design Award (honourable mention), ‘Grooviest Interior’ on the Ward’s AutoWorld ‘Interior of the Year’ list, ‘Top Recommended’ vehicle for 2010 by Edmunds.com and Most Exciting Cars of 2010 by TIME.com. With Soul, Kia is demonstrating that its products have ‘stand-out’ design qualities and an emotional appeal to consumers in addition to offering consumers class-leading safety features, value and options.

On the safety front, Kia Soul was recognized by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the U.S. and given a 2010 ‘Top Safety Pick’ award in the Small Car category. Soul was also awarded a 5-Star safety rating (the maximum score) in the latest Euro NCAP crash test results. Soul’s Euro NCAP safety ratings – with scores of 87% for Adult Occupant Protection, 86% for Child Protection and 86% for Safety Assist equipment – place the Kia among the safest B-Segment sized family cars in Europe.

For more details about the World Car of the Year award jurors, and their outlets, please visit www.wcoty.com.

웹사이트: http://www.kia.co.kr