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!

2023 Kia Seltos S Leads Subcompact Segment With Kelley Blue Book’s “2023 Best Buy Award”

Kia keeps hauling in the awards! The Kia Seltos claims the title of the 2023 Best Buy Award winner, courtesy of its sharp appearance that stands out in an assortment of somewhat bland competitors. The Seltos offers an excellent list of equipment for a reasonable price, allowing for the S trim to meet the needs of many instead of moving up the ladder.

The 2023 Seltos remains a best-seller with a low starting price and an attitude that is anything but boring! Automotive paint retailer BASF claimed that 81% of new cars sold last year were some version of white, black, or gray color, and Kia makes the Seltos stand out with vibrant and attractive color options. You can also choose to spice things up with a contrast-color roof and mirror, allowing for unique and fun customization that most subcompact SUVs don’t offer.

There are other useful upgrades such as a 12-volt power outlet up front, along with plenty of extra USB ports. The subcompact segment suffers from manufacturers’ desire to achieve a lower price by cutting down on extra comforts. The Seltos S makes every ride more comfortable with automatic climate control, and provides second-row passengers with their own climate system vents. 

Every year when new models are released, it seems as if features such as authentic leather seating are harder and harder to come by. Synthetic options have been the go-to replacement, but the Seltos S includes genuine leather on the gear shifter and steering wheel. 

As customers are on the hunt for new vehicles, it is surprising to see how many automated safety systems are available on even entry-level models. The Seltos S keeps you safe with forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot collision avoidance assist. There is also a rear-occupant alert note when a rear door is opened, aptly reminding the driver to keep an eye out for backseat passengers.

The Car and Driver team was greatly impressed with the Seltos’ abundant interior space, excellent optional infotainment upgrades, and stately on-road handling. Road noise has been a frequent complaint of everyone from daily drivers to those going out for a longer trip, and the Seltos has now added brand-new acoustic glass windshields on all 2023 models. 

Current drivers have proven to be consistently all about larger screens, and the Seltos S provides the option to upgrade to a 10.3-inch with navigation included. Don’t forget to also check out the EX trim’s upper-end additions that massively spice matters up with a sunroof, faux-leather upholstery, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a wireless smartphone charging pad. Highway fuel economy is estimated to be as high as 35 mpg for front-wheel-drive models with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder.