Kia Soul Ranked Highest as Compact Car by J.D. Power

Almost a year ago, Kia Motors was named by J.D. Power at the end of their 2018 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study , but that wasn’t the only recognition the automaker received that year, and the pattern has continued in 2019. Two vehicles by the automaker, the Kia Rio and the Kia Forte were ranked highest in the small mass market segment and compact mass market segment, respectively. With 2019 wrapping up, J.D. Power continues to complete the many studies they conduct every year. Just a few months ago (July 2019), the Kia Forte was named the Highest Ranking Compact Car in the 2019 J.D. Power APEAL Study , and the month before, Kia Motors was the highest ranked automaker during the 2019 J.D. Power and Initial Quality Study . Now we’ve come full circle, because the 2019 J.D. Power U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study has concluded, and the Kia Soul has been awarded the title of Best Multimedia Quality in the compact car segment.

2019 J.D. Power U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study

Let’s do a little review. The J.D. Power U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study was designed to provide a better understanding of vehicle owner experiences based on the quality, design, and features of their automotive sound system, including hands-free features such as voice command. A lot of the focus is placed on “things gone wrong” and “things gone right,” all of which can be derived from a survey sent out to car owners.

Going into its fourth year, the Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study covers reported problems with audio, communication, entertainment and navigation (ACEN) technologies via the survey. Vehicle owners rate their vehicle on quality, design, and features of their ACEN system in the first 90 days of ownership, with quality determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100). The lower the score, the higher the quality. Based on the data thus far, such problems have decreased since last year.

Now Back to the Kia Soul

“Simply offering a variety of multimedia technologies isn’t enough…In order to enhance the vehicle experience, owners want those technologies to be problem free and work as expected. In the compact segment, no vehicle demonstrates that high level of multimedia quality better than the Kia Soul.” – said Brent Gruber, Senior Director, Automotive Quality Practice at J.D. Power

All true. Since the Kia Soul launched in 2009, it has been the hatchback to contend with. When the model revealed a turbo engine, that just added more attitude to an already funky compact car. The Kia Soul made a name for itself with world-class quality and a premium ownership experience, and with the redesign of this third-generation model, being ranked highest amongst the competition of compact cars. Although not talked about as much, another vehicle by Kia Motors also ranked highly.

Earning the second highest-ranking for small SUVs, the Kia Sportage had an average of 8 PP100. That’s just one point away from the Kia Soul, with an average of 9 PP100. You can see all the results below.

Looking for a Kia Motors vehicle with recognition for its audio and multimedia technology? Come to Miami Lakes Kia for the 2020 Kia Soul today .

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Media

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