Kia America Earns 8 Honors in 2023 Newsweek Auto Awards

As the Thanksgiving table centerpieces are being prepared during the seasonal flurry of events, it’s a very special and activity-packed time of year for us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis! Just as the thrill and family fun of one holiday is over, the next one comes in rapid succession, and it’s a great time to know that you’ll arrive at these gatherings safely and efficiently courtesy of Kia. The holiday stars shone even brighter upon us this week, as Kia America earned 8 honors in the 2023 Newsweek Auto Awards.

The Kia Carnival took home “Best Minivan” for the lineup for the third year in a row, while the brand itself was recognized as the “most innovative vehicle brand.” The Kia Seltos took home “Best Small SUV”, while the Kia Sportage laid down a pre-turkey day’s claim to “Best two-row SUV.” The long-awaited Kia EV9 was rewarded with “Best Premium SUV”, along with “Best SUV Interior.” All these accolades firmly reinforce our ongoing commitment to master design excellence, while providing a diverse product lineup with something amazing for every driver.

The EV9 has eagerly delivered on so many very high-tech features, efficiently packaged into one downright amazing EV. With rich and appealing interior appointments, generous space for cargo, towing capability, excellent exterior design, and leading vehicle dynamics, the EV9 is guaranteed to keep things exciting during each day of ownership. Kia has gone from admittedly existing as a budget choice to a front-runner capable of competing fiercely with the best, and the EV9 has doubled down on a very determined plan to do everything with fantastic flair.

The EV9’s front end still boasts Kia’s signature “tiger nose” graphic, and a very clever optical feature that adds to a powerful sense of width. The interior feels quite modern and spacious, and all the necessary driving-related technology is smartly centered around the brand-new steering wheel design. Future Kia models are committed to cutting back on featuring leather, with natural oils in the seat foam, and recycled interior plastics from materials like the fishing nets that are rapidly polluting our seas. 

We are thrilled that these esteemed media outlets are recognizing our new take on what luxury means, and firmly non-traditional approach. These brand lineup awards were based on Newsweek Editor’s opinions after testing for style, comfort, materials quality, layout, and seamlessness of technology display. Front-running vehicles such as the 2023 Seltos also received a high amount of praise from Edmunds.com over the past quarter. This editing team deemed it fantastic for being “stylish, roomy, and available with plenty of the latest technology and safety features. 

The Sportage made quite a large splash with its crisp, aggressive styling that will likely dictate the look and feel of Kia’s coming future vehicles. a very intuitive infotainment system, a wide array of standard safety features, and a stellar warranty make it even more appealing. The Motor Trend auto review crew praised the 2023 Seltos for its spacious interior, impressive tech, and segment-leading hybrid model. A 12.3-inch touchscreen is standard on almost every trim, along with a great amount of efficiency with an engaging drive making for a sure-fire home run. 

We invite you to come check out any of these award-winning models this fall here at Jim Butler, where we are proud to host this fleet of earth-friendly and high-achieving vehicles of the future!