If a car company could puff out its check, Kia would be doing just that. This brand has become a significant performer in the US market over the past several years. It feels like every time we turn around Kia is earning another award and coming to their own with the significant style and performance they offer to give us the vehicles we want to enjoy and drive. These various awards have become a validation that Kia has been getting it right and now they’re reaping the benefits of the value and style that we love to see in the Kia vehicles.
Recently Car and Driver has come up with a new category of their 10 Best awards. For the past 35 years Car and Driver has awarded the 10 Best on the market in January, but they wanted to expend this year and create an entirely new category. The expansion of the automotive market, especially the truck and SUV market has brought about the need to have a 10 Best Trucks and SUVs award to honor the winner from each segment. These segments include the subcompact SUV, subcompact luxury SUV, compact SUC, compact luxury SUV, midsize SUV, midsize luxury SUV, large SUV, midsize pickup, full size pickup and van.
For this inaugural award year every nameplate was eligible to participate. Normally the 10 Best only consists of those vehicles which are all new or have been significantly updated. Because every nameplate participated, more than 150 models were eligible to be considered. These vehicles all had to come with a base price that was less than $80,000 and they had to be on sale as of January 2017 in order to qualify for consideration for the award.
Amazingly, especially considering the number of new subcompact SUVs we’ve seen enter the market in the past several years, the one that stood out as the best in this category was an SUV that’s been on the market for several years. The Kia Soul actually won the award at the 10 Best in this category to be the one Car and Driver felt was the best. This SUV continues to offer a fun and funky style and charm that carried over from the first generation while the new generation offers the attractiveness that we want in our vehicles of today, which the Soul continues to offer on every trim level.
The 2017 version of the Kia Soul brings you a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that brings you 201 horsepower and the ability to enjoy 28 mpg on the highway. This SUV can also be had with the 2.0-liter four that makes 161 horsepower or the 1.6-liter base model with only 130 horsepower. This power range allows you to choose the right engine to mate to the seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission to have the vehicle you want to drive. This is just one want the Soul stood out to the team at Car and Driver to win the 10 Best award in its class.
If you’re thinking about a great new vehicle to drive this year, you should certainly consider the Kia Soul. The award winning style, the class, the fun and the impressive way you can stay connected aren’t by accident. The Soul is the funky player you want to drive and certainly makes it easy for you to feel you found a great value in a car that can give you everything you want when you’re ready to drive. Come in and see your local Kia dealer today and pick out the award winner that’s right for you to drive.
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