Awards and accolades have filled up our virtual calendars and timelines for many years here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, and this summer we have had the pleasure of many positive reinforcements that solidify our brand’s innovative momentum. Kia America set a record for the highest total number of awards ever earned in a single year by a brand in the J.D. Power 2023 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) study.
Just last month, Kia also claimed the highest number of possible awards in the J.D. Power 2023 Initial Quality Study. The appealing EV6, family-toting Carnival, and exhilarating midsize K5 took top honors in their respective segments, with four other models ranking number one. The Telluride, Forte, Rio, and Stinger were perched at the absolute top of their categories, providing a solid mile-marker and foundation for solid leadership within the electrification sector. Enjoying the clout of the most awarded brand across both annual recognition benchmarks, we are continuing to educate consumers about our penchant for reliability and sought-after technology.
The 2023 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses from 84,555 owners of brand-new 2023 model-year vehicles who were surveyed in detail after the very crucial first 3 months of ownership. The study data provides very useful insight into experiences with performance, design, safety, comfort, and perception of quality. Various awards from this very respected entity provide the highest-performing companies with an opportunity to let consumers know that being a winning and desirable brand is their top priority.
The 2023 Kia Forte is a very grown-up small sedan that is an excellent value with a very comfortable and accessible utility factor. It’s loaded with features at a price point much lower than key competitors, and drivers love its high fuel economy. The GT trim offers very compelling performance and feels perfectly punchy during everyday driving. The seats are nicely contoured for long-distance comfort, and any road noise encountered is amply quieted. The Forte’s suspension has a very individual yet stiff feel, which urban commuters have given high marks for when navigating cityscapes on the tighter end.
The 2023 Kia K5 arrived on the scene here at Jim Butler evoking a sense of modern class, while offering what we consider one of the smoothest sedan rides on the market! It also snagged up the U.S News and World Report’s “Best Midsize Car for the Money” award AND their 2023 Best New Car for Teens honor. It boasts very supportive seats, a spacious cabin, along with all-wheel drive. Few infotainment setups are as easy to navigate as Kia’s UVO, which offers a well-organized menu layout, an intuitive interface, and quick response times.
The 2023 Kia Stinger has raked in the high marks for being “disarmingly handsome, hugely spacious, loaded with charisma, and full of rear-wheel drive bravado.” The Stinger’s point is to make you notice it, and as a well-proportioned fastback saloon, it is entertaining, engaging, and full of very well-engineered bursts of sheer automotive wizardry. While only a small number see the Stinger as a bit of a Co2 menace, it displays a very raw breed of character and is guaranteed to make anyone who drives on a twisty road grin ear to ear. The Stinger’s injection of extra flavor is genuine, thrilling, smooth, and it will be missed greatly after this year.
