KIA OPTIMA AND SOUL NAMED AMONG THE BEST FAMILY CARS OF 2016 BY PARENTS MAGAZINE AND EDMUNDS.COM

June 6, 2016 by Kia Motors America

◾Kia is One of Just Two Brands to Place Multiple Vehicles on the Go-to-List for Families Considering a New Car Purchase

◾All-new Optima earns the title of 'Best Sedan' with its combination of European-inspired design, dramatically improved driving dynamics and outstanding value

◾The fun and funky Soul urban passenger vehicle is recognized as the 'Best Budget Vehicle'

IRVINE, Calif., June 6, 2016 – Kia Motors America's (KMA) 2016 Optima midsize sedan and 2016 Soul hatchback have been recognized by Parents magazine and Edmunds.com as among the 10 Best Family Cars of 2016. The prestigious list, which identifies top picks for safety, performance and family-friendly features, will appear in the July issue of Parents magazine (available June 14) and online at parents.com/best-family-cars.

'Kia places a priority on safety as well as packing our vehicles with innovative and easy-to-use features at an outstanding value, and the recognition from Parents magazine and Edmunds.com validates our efforts,' said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning, KMA. 'The Optima and Soul have numerous features geared toward families who are looking for advanced driver assistance systems, cutting-edge technology, spacious passenger seating and ample cargo capacity.'

To create their ninth annual list, Parents magazine and Edmunds.com rated hundreds vehicles in a variety of key areas, including: quality of ride, safety, comfort and capacity, fuel efficiency, kid-friendly features, price and value, reliability and interior and exterior workmanship.

'Kia is one of only two brands with two vehicles on our 10 Best List,' said Dana Points, editor-in-chief, Parents magazine. 'The Soul is a great starter model for young families, with surprising room at a base price of $15,900. Additionally, the redesigned Optima sedan is striking inside and out, with advanced technology, a smooth ride and better fuel economy than the previous car.'

About the 2016 Optima

Passionately designed and obsessively crafted, the Optima defies the staid midsize sedan segment with its exquisite design, abundance of premium convenience features, and exceptional refinement, delivering a class-up experience to those looking for higher levels of sophistication in their day-to-day driving. Available with three engine choices, including a new 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that's mated to a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), the Optima is more confident than ever on the road. With a base price of $22,1401 the Optima's roomier, more luxurious cabin features an impressive level of craftsmanship that comes standard across five trim levels – LX, LX 1.6T, EX, SX and SXL.

About the 2016 Kia Soul

The extremely popular Soul ups its 'wow' factor for the 2016 model year with a host of new style and convenience features. Owners can express their unique individualism through a new Designer Collection that plays up the Soul's fun-loving attitude with a two-tone paint scheme. Available in three trim levels (Base, Plus, Exclaim), the Base Soul comes standard with a gasoline direct injection (GDI) 1.6-liter all-aluminum DOHC four-cylinder engine. Plus and Exclaim models enjoy the more powerful 2.0-liter NU power plant with GDI technology. With a base price of $15,9001, the Soul offers wagon-based practicality, plenty of passenger room, and a feature-rich interior.

About Edmunds.com, Inc.

Car-shopping website Edmunds.com serves nearly 18 million visitors each month. With Edmunds.com Price Promise®, shoppers can get an instant, upfront price for cars and trucks currently for sale at 10,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Shoppers can browse not only dealer inventory, but also vehicle reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories on both Edmunds' wired site and on its acclaimed mobile apps. Regarded as one of the best places to work in Southern California, Edmunds.com was also named one of 'The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Automotive' by Fast Company. Edmunds welcomes all car-shopping questions on its free Live Help Line at 1-855-782-4711 and help@edmunds.com, via text at ED411 and on Twitter and Facebook. The company is based in Santa Monica, Calif. and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Mich., but you can find Edmunds from anywhere on YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and Flipboard.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the 'Official Automotive Partner' of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2015, surpassing the 600,000 unit mark for the first time in company history. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900** flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle***, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona minivan, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia's U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts

1 MSRP excludes destination and handling, taxes, title, license fees, options, and retailer chargers. Actual prices set by retailer and may vary.

** K900 available in select trims and in select markets with limited availability.

*** Soul EV in select markets with limited availability.

Photo credit: Kia Motors America
posted on conceptcarz.com