Kia EV6 Wins 2023 NACTOY Utility Vehicle Award

The Kia EV6 debuted overseas in 2021 but didn’t officially come to America until the 2022 model year. Since then, the EV6 has outshined many of the battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in the market. We talked about the success for the Kia Corporation in 2022 (mostly Kia America) and the success of many vehicles in the lineup. Our first highlights were all about the Kia EV6 . One annual award that has been missing from the list in recent years is the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ Awards. The Kia Telluride SUV won 2020 NACTOY Awards for the Utility vehicle segment. Kia made it to the semifinalists round for NACTOY 2021, but didn’t go all the way. No mention for 2022, but for the 2023 model year, the all-electric Kia EV6 wins the 2023 NACTOY title of North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™.

“Since going on sale in early 2022, the EV6 model range has illustrated the sophistication and refinement inherent to Kia EV engineering, and North American customers have taken notice…In a year with three electric finalists, this win proves that EV6 is not only a top utility vehicle, but also an exemplary EV.” – Sean Yoon, President and CEO, Kia America

During the 2021 NACTOY Semifinalists Round, Kia had three vehicles in the running. The Kia K5 sports car, Kia Seltos hatchback, and Kia Sorento SUV all made the cut. Since the Kia EV6 didn’t come to the North American market until 2022, it couldn’t have won the award previously. This year is different, and it’s always a big deal for Kia – any automaker really – to land on this list. The NACTOY Awards are one of the big ones.

Here’s the deal. The NACTOY awards places a focus on vehicles available to consumers of the current year, and they must be either all-new or substantially new. Every year, NACTOY puts together a judging panel consisting of respected jurors from print, online, radio and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada. After care evaluation, judges vote for the winners based on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for price. This year, the panel was made of 50 automotive experts evaluated vehicles ranging from sports cars to pickup trucks, and several changes were made to scores: the jurors assessed every vehicle based on criteria including automotive innovation, design, safety features, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience, and value.

The 2023 NACTOY Awards marks the second time in the last four years that the NACTOY jury named a Kia vehicle as its top choice in a selected category – Car, Truck, or Utility. This is also the first win for a Kia electric vehicle (EV). The next big win is for a vehicle in all three categories, but that’s just wishful thinking. The Kia EV6 has well-earned its popularity in North America, having sold more than 19,000 units sold at Kia retailers throughout all 50 states by today’s date (January 11, 2023). A critical part of the Kia Plan S Strategy and the first of many more BEVs to come from the automaker, claiming a full line-up of 14 BEVs by 2027. This was the goal set forth during the Kia 2022 CEO Investor Day . Want to find out what EV Kia will release next? Follow us on Miami Lakes Kia social media . Want to buy an award-winning Kia model? Find new Kia models at Miami Lakes Automall today.

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Media

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