Kia takes a couple of spots in this years DieselCar Top 50 with the NIRO, cee'd and Sportage all taking awards.

• All-new Kia Niro tops the hybrid category in the joint Diesel Car and Eco Car 2017 awards
• Sportage claims third position out of the top 50 highly rated vehicles available in the UK
• cee’d is rated at number 40
• Kia models impressed judges with their practicality, style, economy and value for money 

Kia has received yet more recognition and won a tightly contested award in this years’ Diesel Car and Eco Car Awards, with the all-new Kia Niro hybrid crossover winning best hybrid vehicle and the Kia cee’d and Sportage models coming well within the top 50 cars available in the UK, concluded by the panel of judges of Diesel Car and Eco Car.

The all-new Niro was launched in August 2016 and presents customers with the high efficiency and low running costs of a petrol-electric car with the style, practicality and desirability of a compact crossover. The judges awarded the model with an overall place of 38 and were impressed by the vehicle’s efficiency and customer-friendly styling and practicality.

Ian Robertson, Editor and Publisher of Diesel Car and Eco Car commented, “Some hybrids have often come under fire for being awkwardly styled, but not so the Kia Niro, which embraces the booming crossover trend, but still offers wallet-friendly running costs. 

Looking just as stylish as the Sportage SUV, the Niro can return over 70mpg and offer all the space a family should need. It might be high-tech, but its comprehensive seven-year warranty will reassure owners that this family-sized Kia is built to last.”

Last years’ car of the year for Diesel Car, the Kia Sportage, came in at a very respectable number three overall in the 2017 awards. The vehicle has created huge success for the Kia brand in the UK in the past year and a half, with 2016 sales exceeding 40,000 alone.

“Last year’s winner can hold its head high, smashing sales targets for Kia and still being one of the best medium SUVs money can buy. The latest Sportage is the biggest yet, with plenty of space for five people and their luggage. 

On the road, the 1.7- and 2.0-litre diesel engines are refined, easy to drive and free from body roll in the corners, making it a relaxing place for passengers. That awesome seven-year warranty and an impressive list of standard kit makes the Sportage an even more compelling buy.” Said Ian Robertson, Editor and Publisher of Diesel Car and Eco Car.

Finally, it was the cee’d which also received highly positive recognition from the judges, the model which is now five years old in its current version, came well into the top 50 taking the 40 spot. It impressed judges with its sharp and handsome looks, generous equipment levels, good road manners, economy and that it’s managed to stay competitive even in 2017.

This award win and recognition for Kia in the UK comes at a very successful time for the brand and further bolsters that success. Every month of 2017 has been a new sales record for the business and with an increasing product line upcoming later this year, Kia’s new and existing customers are going to be well catered for.

TOWCAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS - Kia takes the green award for the ultra frugal 1.6 litre CRDi 2 model.

• cee’d Sportswagon described as “Impressively economical”
• Fuel economy better than any other contender
• £19,895 1.6 CRDi ‘2’ model tested

Practical Caravan has endorsed what many keen load-lugging drivers already know – the Kia cee’d Sportswagon 1.6 CRDI is the “greenest” tow car on the market!

Capturing the  Green Tow Car Award in the magazine’s annual, exhaustive testing competition, the £19,895 ‘2’ version was described by David Motton, Tow Car Editor as being “impressively economical to buy and run as well as being a respectable tow car.”

He went on: “If you want to tow a caravan without spending a fortune on fuel, look no further. Towing a tourer weighing 85 per cent of its kerbweight the cee’d Sportswagon returned a commendable 31.6mpg – beating every other car we shortlisted.

“At the legal limit the Kia is a stable tow car and in an emergency lane-change the cee’d Sportswagon performed well, always pulling the caravan straight again, even when it stepped out of line,” he added.

Simon Hetherington, Commercial Director of Kia Motor (UK) Limited said: ”This honour endorses everything our customers tell us – and the cee’d Sportswagon is very popular amongst the caravanning community. They love the blend of economy, refinement and of course the industry-leading seven year warranty.

“We are delighted to win this award because it sums up the dedication our engineers have committed to developing affordable, responsible motoring in today’s budget-conscious marketplace whilst not sacrificing dynamic ability or desirable creature comforts,” he said.

EUROPEAN SALES 2015 - Kia see's 2015 out with a record sales year with nearly 400,000 sales.

• 384,790 cars sold, representing year-on-year growth of 8.8%
• Continuous yearly sales growth for Kia in Europe since 2008
• Rise in sales for best-selling Sportage and new Sorento SUV

Kia Motors Europe recorded its best-ever full year sales in 2015, according to the latest data from ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association).

With 384,790 units sold in 2015*, Kia’s full-year sales figures represent year-on-year growth of 8.8%, increasing from 353,719 units in 2014. The Korean brand has now recorded rising sales every year in Europe since 2008.

Kia Motors Europe had already achieved sales of more than 200,000 in the first half of 2015 for the first time in the company’s history.

In addition to this, Kia Motors UK continues to hold the biggest market share in Europe, as well as one of the top five worldwide. At the end of 2015, KMUK achieved total sales of 78,489 units, making up 20.4% of the total European figure.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “It’s been another great year for Kia in Europe, and it’s clear that our organic growth strategy is paying off. European motorists are coming to Kia each year in greater numbers, thanks to our comprehensive model range which offers outstanding design and top product quality, sold through a dealer network which boasts consistently high levels of customer care.”

Cole added: “We have bold plans for 2016, a year which will see us introduce the first of our next-generation low emissions vehicles as part of a long-term plan to lower our fleet emissions and further reduce the environmental impact of our product line-up. These new models will play an important role in our plan for further sustainable growth across Europe.”

The Kia Sportage compact SUV – the brand’s bestselling model in Europe – continued to post record sales throughout 2015, enjoying the best-ever 12-month period in the model’s history in the region. Sales of the Sportage, which is due to be replaced by the fourth-generation Sportage early in 2016, rose by 8.0% to 105,317 units in 2015 – the first time Kia Motors Europe has sold more than 100,000 Sportage models in a year. The Kia Sportage is manufactured at the company’s production facility in Žilina, Slovakia.

The Kia Sorento SUV also proved increasingly popular with European buyers, with 14,183 sold in 2015, more than any other year in which the Sorento has been on sale.

The hotly-contested A- and B-segments also proved important for Kia’s sales growth throughout 2015, with recent upgrades to the Kia Picanto, Rio and Venga resulting in strong sales growth throughout the year. Sales of the Picanto rose by 5.1% (53,717 units), while the B-segment Rio (64,175 units, +9.3%) and European-manufactured Venga (28,489 units, +11.5%) each enjoyed their best-ever annual sales.

Every model in Kia’s European line-up is sold with the brand’s unique seven year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Extensively revised 5dr cee’d, 3dr pro_cee’d, Sportswagon and GT to build on the 1,000,000 sold already.

• Extensively revised 5dr cee’d, 3dr pro_cee’d, Sportswagon and GT
• More than a million cee’ds sold already
• Cumulative UK sales now well over 100,000
• Range designed, engineered, built and sold exclusively in Europe
• New powertrains lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions
• Highest level of driver aids and connected car services ever in a cee’d
• New GT-Line trim package plus upgrades through the range
• cee’d from £14,905, pro_cee’d from £15,250, Sportswagon from £16,750

Kia today reveals pricing and specification details for the extensively revised cee’d family, which is set to build on more than a million sales of the range already. The revisions affect the five-door cee’d, three-door pro_cee’d, spacious cee’d Sportswagon and sporty cee’d GT and pro_cee’d GT.

In May this year Kia announced that sales of the cee’d range had hit the one million mark since the start of production in 2006. The one-millionth car to come off the assembly line was a white GT five-door destined for a Dutch customer. 

The cee’d is sold only in Europe and is made there at the company’s Žilina plant in Slovakia. Most of the design and engineering work is done at the company’s Frankfurt studios and technical centre, and the diesel engines are made at Žilina.

In the UK, cumulative cee’d family sales sit at 105,000. Kia sold 62,519 versions of the first-generation range, which was on sale from 2006 to 2012, while the current model has claimed close to 45,000 customers. It is Kia’s third-best-selling car in Britain, after the Sportage and Picanto. Around two-thirds of sales are of the five-door model.

Kia expects to sell 13,500 versions of the upgraded cee’d family in its first full year, with 9,100 going to fleet and business customers and 4,400 going to retail customers. 

The best-selling version among fleet buyers is predicted to be the five-door 1.6 CRDI diesel with grade 2 trim, thanks to its combination of improved power and torque with lower fuel consumption and emissions. The retail favourite is likely to be the petrol 1.4 SR7 special edition.

The cee’d has played a significant role in Kia’s sustained and sustainable growth in the past nine years. In Europe it accounts for 21 per cent of all Kia sales. The UK is the company’s largest and most profitable European market. 

First deliveries of the new cee’d family will be arriving in UK dealerships on October 1, priced from £14,905 (cee’d), £15,250 (pro_cee’d) and £16,750 (Sportswagon).

Kia offers 19 versions of the five-door cee’d in the UK, nine of the pro_cee’d and 12 Sportswagons. Depending on body style, there are up to eight trim levels – 1, SR7, 2, 3, 4, 4 Tech, GT-Line and GT.

Every car in the cee’d family comes with the best warranty in the business – seven years or 100,000 miles, including labour, subject to terms and conditions. The warranty is fully transferable to the next owner if the car is sold before the time or mileage limit expires.

Pricing:

cee’d
1.4 1	£14,905
1.4 CRDi 1	£16,195
1.6 CRDi 1	£16,795
1.4 SR7	£15,750
1.4 CRDi SR7	£17,040
1.6 GDi 2	£17,795
1.0 T-GDi (98bhp) 2	£17,945
1.6 CRDi 2	£18,895
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT 2	£20,330
1.0 T-GDi (118bhp) 3	£20,120
1.6 CRDi 3	£20,695
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT 3	£22,130
1.6 CRDi 4	£22,295
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT 4	£23,730
1.6 CRDi 4 Tech	£24,295
1.0 T-GDi (118bhp) GT-Line	£20,220
1.6 CRDi GT-Line	£20,795
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT GT-Line	£22,230
1.6 T-GDi GT	£23,605

pro_cee’d
1.4 SR7	£15,250
1.6 GDi 2	£17,295
1.0 T-GDi (98bhp) 2	£17,445
1.6 CRDi 2	£18,395
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT 2	£19,830
1.0 T-GDi (118bhp) GT-Line	£19,720
1.6 CRDi GT-Line	£20,295
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT GT-Line	£21,730
1.6 T-GDi GT	£23,105

cee’d Sportswagon
1.4 CRDi 1	£17,395
1.4 SR7	£16,750
1.6 CRDi 2	£19,895
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT 2	£21,330
1.0 T-GDi (118bhp) 3	£21,120
1.6 CRDi 3	£21,695
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT 3	£23,130
1.6 CRDi 4 Tech	£25,495
1.6 T-GDi GT	£23,105
1.0 T-GDi (118bhp) GT-Line	£21,220
1.6 CRDi GT-Line	£21,795
1.6 CRDi 7-DCT GT-Line	£23,230