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All-new Kia e-NIRO wins Car of the Year at 2019 What Car? Awards

Zero emission, all-electric e-Niro wins coveted ‘Car of the Year’ at 2019 What Car? Car of the Year Awards

The all-new zero emissions Kia e-Niro has become the first ever Korean car to win the prestigious What Car? Car of the Year award. This historic win marks the first time an all-electric car has picked up the top prize of the night. The e-Niro with class leading 282-mile range also picked up ‘Electric Car of the Year’ at the awards.

The Kia e-Niro has been designed to merge crossover-inspired design with long range, zero-emissions driving and enjoyable performance. It achieves this with a next-generation electric powertrain, using new production technologies developed specifically for Kia electric vehicles. A single high-specification, feature-rich ‘First Edition’ model will be on sale from all 192 Kia dealerships in the UK from 1 April 2019.

Retaining its ‘City Car of the Year’ award, the Kia Picanto was commended for its high level of standard equipment and value for money. The Picanto ‘3’ has Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), 7″ Touchscreen Satellite Navigation with DAB and rear parking sensors all available as standard.

Both the all-new Ceed and Stinger win in their price categories. The Ceed 1.0 T-GDi ‘2’ was awarded ‘Best family car for less than £20,000’ with the smooth 1.0 T-GDI engine and smart interior being commended. The Stinger 3.3 T-GDi ‘GT S’ won ‘Best performance car for less than £50,000’ for its outstanding performance and ease of use.

The What Car? judging panel said ‘Uncompromised electric car ownership has, so far, been the privilege of those able to afford a Tesla, which is why the e-Niro is such a game-changer.

While the Renault Zoe deserves credit for offering a decent range for less than £20k, and the I-Pace for giving Tesla buyers a better option, we think Kia’s success in making a long-range electric car that’s within the reach of many deserves the most credit.

The winds of change blow fiercely in the land of electric cars, so we can’t say how long Kia will be on top. But right now, that’s exactly where it sits.’

Commenting on an extraordinary evening for Kia, Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia Motors (UK) Ltd, said ‘It’s a great honour to win the top prize at this year’s What Car? Awards, which are so highly regarded in the industry and by customers. This is an important moment for Kia in the UK as this is an accumulation of years of growth and development with the e-Niro perfectly encompassing the future of our brand. The e-Niro will be available across our 192-strong dealer network who are excited to show off the car’s class leading capabilities.

To come away with five awards shows the breadth of our product line up and is a testament to how far the brand has grown since launching in the UK. Cars such as the Picanto and Ceed remain a staple for Kia, while the e-Niro and Stinger show our ability to surprise the industry with our advancements in technology and engineering. We are looking forward to continuing this success throughout 2019 and beyond.’

SOURCE: Kia Motors

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