Top laurels for Kia at ICOTY 2023: Carens wins the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY); EV6 wins the Green Car Award 2023 by ICOTY

Top laurels for Kia at ICOTY 2023: Carens wins the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY); EV6 wins the Green Car Award 2023 by ICOTY

Kia becomes the first brand to ever win two ICOTY awards in the same year.
 

CHENNAI: Kia India, one of the fastest-growing carmakers in the country, registered big wins at ICOTY 2023. The Kia Carens was crowned as the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2023 and the Kia EV6 won the Green Car Award 2023 by ICOTY. With this, Kia has become the first brand ever to win two ICOTY awards in the same year.

The ICOTY awards, held under the aegis of the Automotive Journalists Association of India (AJAI), are the most coveted automotive awards in the country and are often referred to as the Oscars of the Indian automotive industry. The award is an expert and independent judgment of the best new car. The highly experienced jury members are responsible for selecting a single decisive winner. The criteria like price, fuel efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money, and suitability for Indian driving conditions are particularly important factors that are considered while deciding on the winner.

Tae-Jin Park, Managing Director & CEO, Kia India said, “It’s a proud moment for all of us at the Kia family. We are absolutely elated to be awarded with not one but two prestigious ICOTY honours - Kia Carens won the coveted ‘Indian Car of the Year’ and our flagship EV, the EV6, won the laurel as ICOTY ‘Green Car Award 2023 by ICOTY’. We are thankful to the esteemed ICOTY jury members for this recognition. This is a well-deserved recognition for brand Kia and speaks volumes for our technological prowess, capabilities and understanding of Indian market. It is a true reflection of our successful journey in India and a great motivation for us to keep working and contributing towards an inspiring tomorrow.”

Kia Carens is yet another made-in-India global product from Kia that brings the sophistication of a family mover and the sportiness of an SUV in one compelling package. The Kia Carens is a comfortable and spacious three-row seater Recreational Vehicle designed for modern Indian families. The vehicle hosts many first-in-class features such as 26.03 Cm (10.25”) HD Touchscreen Navigation with Next Generation Kia Connect, BOSE Premium Sound System with 8 speakers, Smart Pure Air Purifier with Virus and Bacteria protection, Ventilated front seats, 2nd Row Seat One Touch Easy Electric Tumble and SkyLight Sunroof to name a few. All the trim levels offer the Robust 10 Hi-safety package as standard which includes 6 airbags, VSM, HAC, ESC, all-Wheel Disc Brakes, to name a few, making the Kia Carens safe for a family drive. The Kia Carens is available with three powertrain options - Smartstream 1.5 Petrol, Smartstream 1.4 T-GDi Petrol and 1.5 CRDi VGT Diesel. Further, customers also get an option to choose from three transmission options – 6MT, 7DCT and 6AT.The vehicle is offered in the Seven seater option in Premium to Luxury trims, while the Luxury Plus trim is available with a choice of both 6 and 7 seater options.

Kia EV6 is the first Electric Vehicle by Kia in the country and is built on Kia’s dedicated EV platform, the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The vehicle boasts a highly impressive real-world driving range, ultra-fast charging capabilities, and a spacious, high-tech interior. It features an 800-volt ultra-fast charging capability, with a 10-80 percent charge taking as little as 18 minutes using a 350-kW charger. Alongside its charging capabilities, the EV6 is introduced in India with a long-range (77.4 kWh) battery pack that offers a range of up to 708 km on a full charge (ARAI certified).

About - Kia India

In April 2017, Kia India signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility at Anantapur District. Kia commenced mass production in August 2019 and has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. In April 2021, Kia India reimagined itself in line with its new brand identity, “Movement that Inspires” aimed at offering customers meaningful experiences backed by innovative products and services. Under the new brand identity, Kia has set out to find ways to achieve new benchmarks and inspire consumers to be more and do more. Till date, Kia India has launched five vehicles for the Indian market – the Seltos, the Carnival, the Sonet, the Carens, and the EV6. Kia India has completed over 8 lakh dispatches from its Anantapur plant, including 6.22 lakh domestic sales and over 1.78 lakh exports. With over 2.6 lakh connected cars on Indian roads, it is among the connected Car leaders in the country. The brand has a widespread network of 339 touchpoints and is focused on strengthening its footprints across the country.

About - Kia Corporation

Kia (www.kia.com) is a global mobility brand with a vision to create sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities, and societies around the world. Founded in 1944, Kia has been providing mobility solutions for more than 75 years. With 52,000 employees worldwide, a presence in more than 190 markets, and manufacturing facilities in six countries, the company today sells around three million vehicles a year. Kia is spearheading the popularization of electrified and battery electric vehicles and developing a growing range of mobility services, encouraging millions of people around the world to explore the best ways of getting around. The company's brand slogan – ‘Movement that inspires’ – reflects Kia’s commitment to inspire consumers through its products and services.

For more information, visit the Kia Global Media Center at www.kianewscenter.com