Kia Telluride Excitedly Named “World Car of the Year”

The “World Car of the Year” award is a highly esteemed and huge honor that recognizes the most significant new vehicle on the scene as determined by an international jury of automotive journalist judges. The Telluride that we are so excited about here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis added to its long list of honors by beating out the Mazda CX-30 and the Mazda3, which were previously announced finalists for the WCOTY award! In another win for Kia, the Soul EV was named World Urban Car of the Year, beating out the Mini Cooper SE and Volkswagen T-Cross.

Last year's honors were taken by the Jaguar I-Pace, and other previous honorees consist of the Volvo XC60, the Jaguar F-Pace, and the Mazda MX-5. The team that makes the decision consists of 86 jurors from 24 countries and runs as an independent organization not tied to any specific publication. This is the 16^th year for the awards to take place, and the amazing interior is just one of the fine qualities that boosted the Telluride to this soaring victory. This super cool video shows the details and a bit about what it feels like to sit in the range-topping SX trim level.

For starters, the host claims that immediately when you sit down, this feels more like an upper-end luxury vehicle than anything from the Honda or Toyota brands. He enjoyed the various accents of leather within the interior, and the large grab handles in the middle that are a bit reminiscent of what the Porsche line has to offer. The storage area by the cup holders is ideal for smartphones, and that's where you also find the wireless charging. There are also two USB ports in the back of the seat, and the 10.25” touchscreen looks fantastic perched on the dash.

Every Telluride does now come standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio. On this top-of-the-line SX, there is a “driver talk” option that allows you to use a Bluetooth microphone to project your voice to the passengers in the rear. The host illustrates how comfortable the second-row captain's chairs are, and the rarity of heated and ventilated seats in the second row as well. He also happens to be 6 ft 3 and does a good job of depicting the available space and headroom in the way rear of the Telluride.

While sitting in the third row, the size of the windows also doesn’t make one feel quite as claustrophobic as in some 3-row models, a big plus when embarking on long journeys. We couldn’t be prouder of one of our favorite vehicles for yet another award-winning achievement, and hope that we can assist you to pick out this or any other Kia model to complement your growing family or business this spring! We appreciate the loyalty of our St Louis-area customers during good times as well as those that are more difficult and look forward to finding the perfect vehicle for you.

L.A. Auto Show Attendees Will Witness Surprise Kia Vehicle Debut

Chris Bruce of Motor1.com reported on the blog last week that the brand we love to represent so much every day here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis has a secret vehicle debut slated for the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. From Nov. 22 – Dec. 1^st, attendees get to enjoy vehicles on display, vehicle debuts, VIP guided tours, free test drives, and many other events and appearances. Unfortunately for the masses of curious and excited Kia fans, this release is pretty much under wraps and kept a complete secret. Assuming that the vehicle pictured here is a production model and not a concept, the most likely one to be presented is the next-gen Kia Sorento.

Judging by those photos, if  this is the crossover in question it possesses a bit more chiseled styling like the larger Telluride. Since rumors do suggest that the Sorento will go on sale for the 2021 model year, this could coincide with the timing of the LA Auto Show unveiling. Others have been wondering if a new Optima is in the works, as some photos floating around the web show the K5 as a South Korean version. This is the vehicle that we think would excite many: even though it seems it's always crossover SUVs winning the popularity contest, a new sedan certainly always turns heads at a star-studded auto show.

Some wonder if the Seltos is going to be the secret contender at the LA Auto Show, but it does  seem a bit less likely. After debuting in India this summer, there has been speculation that a North American version is possible. The current model touts a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 147 hp, or turbodiesel 1.6 – liter with 134 hp. For a truly epic surprise, many attendees would love nothing more than to check out Kia's pickup concept, but that is allegedly not going to be out for another year.

It would also be startling to see a living and breathing Imagine EV: the concept shown here is a coupe-inspired crossover that could soon be our brand's range-topping electric vehicle. The 21 high-resolution screens inside are one of the production elements that could be a bit difficult to pull off on short notice, but as many “dare to dream”, would be an impressive sight to see. The production-spec Imagine was slated to ride on Hyundai and Kia's upcoming dedicated electrical platform, but many specifics have not yet been made public. Even though some dedicated fans on various Kia blogs thought it was a bit strange on the inside, this is one amazingly handsome concept, and from a side glance looks like everything futuristic cars were meant to dazzle us with.