The Kia Carens voted best people over in Drive Car of the Year Awards

The Kia Carens (known as the “Rondo” in some markets) was chosen winner of the Best People Mover category in the premier 2008 Drive Car of the Year (COTY) awards in Australia, becoming the first Korean car to win Drive COTY award. The Carens beat strong candidates from Toyota and Peugot to win the coveted award.

“We are very pleased that the Drive Car of the Year judges have confirmed what we at Kia already knew – the Carens was the best candidate in the people mover category,” said S.K. Lee, president and CEO of Kia Motors Australia.

“Drive judges recognized that the Carens’ clever design, spacious interior and value for money delivered the best package for Australian families who need a vehicle with the space and practicality for everyday living,” he said.

The Drive judging panel was unanimous in their support for Carens and singled out its versatility, economy, excellent value for money and five-year unlimited kilometer warranty in support of its strong all-round performance in the judging process.

The short listed candidates in each category are compared against each other during a rigorous, week-long evaluation covering 20,000 km and considering five broad criteria – under the bonnet; how it drives; price, quality and equipment; comfort and practicality; and safety.

According to the Drive COTY judges, “The Carens becomes the first car from a Korean manufacturer to receive a Drive Car of the Year award because it offers the best combination of versatility, space and value for money, all key considerations for people-mover buyers.”

The Drive COTY accolades are awarded across 13 vehicle categories plus an overall Drive Car of the Year award. Candidates for the awards are chosen from all vehicles on sale in Australia, not just those that have been launched in the past 12 months because the Drive COTY judges recognize that “consumers don’t limit their choices that way”.

Drive COTY awards the selected annually by a judging panel from the Fairfax Media group, Australasia’s leading media company. Fairfax Media’s publishing list includes two Australia’s oldest and most prestigious daily newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald in Sydney and The Age in Melbourne, as well as the online motoring website www.drive.com.au which oversees the Drive COTY awards program.

The Kia Carens also received the “Car of Choice” honor in the Car of the Year awards recently announced by www.autochic.com.au, an Australian motoring website targeting women drivers.