Kia Rondo Wins Drive Car of the Year Award for “Best People Mover”
Rondo Photos
Have you driven a Kia Rondo yet? A little time behind the wheel is impresses most people. It feels like a large car, yet isn’t cumbersome, and its tall ride height and large greenhouse offers excellent visibility all-round. These are just two reasons why the Rondo is appealing, an appreciation of which seems to be global.
The family hauler has just won Best People Mover in Australia’s Drive Car of the Year awards, a unanimous decision by the Fairfax Media organization’s judging panel. The Rondo, known in some markets as “Carens”, bested candidates from Toyota and Peugeot to take away the honors, while beating its own parent company Hyundai as the only Korean company to win a Drive COTY.
“We are very pleased that the Drive Car of the Year judges have confirmed what we at Kia already knew – the Kia Rondo was the best candidate in the people mover category,” commented Mr. S.K. Lee, President & CEO of Kia Motors Australia.“Drive judges recognized that Rondo’s clever design, spacious interior and value for money delivered the best package for Australian families who need a vehicle with the space and practicality for everyday living.”
The Drive judging panel looked to the Rondo’s versatility, economy, excellent value for money and five-year unlimited kilometer warranty to support its case, after judging the car and its rivals on a weeklong evaluation covering some 20,000 km (12,500 miles). Key elements for consideration included driving dynamics, engine performance, price, quality and equipment offered, as well as comfort, practicality and safety.
“The Rondo becomes the first car from a Korean manufacturer to receive a Drive Car of the Year award because it offers the best combination of versatility, space and value for money, all key considerations for people-mover buyers,” commented the Drive COTY judges in a statement.
Unlike many Car of the Year awards, the Drive COTY judges don’t limit their candidates to just all-new models (completely revised or totally new vehicles that enter the market in a given 12 month period), but actually include all models offered in a given category, no matter how long they’ve been on the market. So when the Rondo won its class, it didn’t just win because it only faced one or two all-new models, but because the judges honestly feel it is the best vehicle/value combination in its segment. Commenting on COTY awards given only to “all-new” vehicles, the judges said “consumers don’t limit their choices that way.”
The Drive COTY awards are annually selected by a judging panel from Fairfax Media newspapers, which include two of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious dailies, The Sydney Morning Herald in Sydney and The Age in Melbourne, as well as the company’s online automotive website www.drive.com.au, which oversees the Drive COTY awards program.
Strengthening the Drive COTY award’s decision, Kia’s Rondo also won the ‘Car of Choice’ award in the Autochic.com.au Car of the Year program. Autochic.com.au is Australia’s leading auto site for women.
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