Kia Triumphs Over Top Competitors for Best Brand Honor

IRVINE, CA--April 9, 2014: Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com) today announced Kia Motors America (KMA) is a 2014 Brand Image Award winner for the "Best Value Brand" – the first time Kia has won the coveted award by KBB.com, the leading provider of new and used car information. Kia received high marks for its impressive lineup of stylish and fuel-efficient vehicles, specifically Optima, Rio, Soul and Forte, and was praised for its affordability and value to new-car buying customers.

"To be named a 2014 Brand Image Award winner for 'Best Value Brand' by Kelley Blue Book showcases Kia's continued commitment to providing tremendous value to its customers," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing, KMA. "Value will always be at the forefront of every vehicle we sell. From the Rio all the way to the recently introduced K900 rear-drive luxury sedan, Kia continues to redefine what value means by offering an entire line-up of stunningly designed vehicles that are packed with the features and amenities today's new-car shoppers demand."

Kia's "Best Value Brand" distinction is based on annual new-car buyer perception data collected by Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence's Brand Watch Study.

"Kia has come a long way in the eyes of the consumer," said Arthur Henry, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Once known only for offering economy cars with good gas mileage, the brand has evolved through product growth and maturity into a high-value brand. This is a similar path fellow import brands Honda and Toyota took in the 1970s. In fact, Kia edges out Honda this year for the Best Value Brand title."