Kelley Blue Book Names 2013 Kia Sportage One Of 10 Best Back-to-School Cars

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The award-winning Kia Sportage recently was named by Kelley Blue Book as one of the 10 Best Back-to-School Cars of 2013.  The sporty compact crossover ranked sixth among its competitors, standing apart from the crowd with aggressive styling and a hard-to-find combination of fun-to-drive performance and impressive fuel economy.

"Kelley Blue Book's recognition of Sportage as one of the 10 Best Back-to-School cars validates Kia's competitive presence within the ever-growing compact CUV segment," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA.  "And given KMA's commitment to education – through partnerships with organizations such as the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School and DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that makes it easy for 'citizen philanthropists' to support public school students and teachers – having Sportage named as a back-to-school favorite is an even greater honor."

The Best Back-to-School distinction is based on Kelley Blue Book editors' evaluations of vehicle attributes, including fuel economy, safety, style, versatility and value. Providing the key elements both students and their parents want in a vehicle, the 2013 Sportage comes equipped with Kia's UVO powered by Microsoft®¹ voice-activated infotainment system, offered standard for the EX and SX trims, enabling drivers and passengers to speak via hands-free phone, access music from a variety of media sources and create custom music experiences all with voice-activation.

"Your hard-earned $20,000 buys a lot of car these days. Case in point, the stylish Kia Sportage offers up real SUV versatility, a bounty of standard features and a lengthy warranty at a very student-friendly price," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com.  "That it's recognized as a 2013 IIHS Top Safety Pick doesn't hurt, either."

The annual list published by Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com seeks to help college students and their parents make the most informed purchasing decisions when choosing the best car to meet their wants and needs.  The Kia Soul topped the Best Back-to-School list in 2012, making the 2013 Sportage the second Kia vehicle to make an appearance on the Kelley Blue Book list two years running.

About the 2013 Sportage
Starting with the base trim, Sportage offers numerous standard features, including 16-inch alloy wheels matched with 215/70R16 low-rolling-resistance silica tires, body-color door handles, body-color and electronically adjustable side mirrors and a six-speed manual transmission.  Moving to the LX adds standard 17-inch alloy wheels, LED turn signals on the outside mirrors, keyless entry with folding key, six-speed electronically controlled Sportmatic^® automatic transmission, solar glass, privacy glass, and LED accent lighting along the headlamps for a sportier, more upscale appearance.  The popularly-equipped EX trim offers stylish 18-inch alloy wheels mated with 235/55R18 tires, high-performance dampers, LED daytime running lights, roof rails, a rear spoiler, fog lamps and chrome body trim and door handles.  The top-of-the-line Sportage SX adds a powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI engine producing 260-horsepower, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, dual exhaust, sculpted side sill moldings and unique SX grille.

Kia:  One of the World's Fastest Moving Global Automotive Brands 
Kia Motors America is one of only three auto brands to increase U.S. sales in each of the past four years, and in 2012 the company surpassed the 500,000 unit mark for the first time. With a full line of fun-to-drive cars and CUVs, Kia is advancing value to new levels of sophistication by combining European-influenced styling – under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer – with cutting-edge technologies, premium amenities, affordable pricing and the lowest cost of ownership in the industry. Kia recently joined the exclusive ranks of Interbrand's "Top 100 Best Global Brands," and is poised to continue its momentum with seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2013. Over the past decade Kia Motors has invested more than $1.4 billion in the U.S., including the company's first U.S. assembly plant in West Point, Georgia – Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia – which is responsible for the creation of more than 11,000 plant and supplier jobs. The success of the U.S.-built* Optima and Sorento in two of the industry's largest segments has fueled Kia's rapid growth and is complemented by Kia's comprehensive lineup which includes the Cadenza flagship sedan, the Soul urban passenger vehicle, Sportage compact CUV, Optima Hybrid, the Forte sedan, Forte5, and Forte Koup compacts, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and the Sedona minivan.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX Trims and certain LX Trims only) and GDI Turbo are built in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts. 

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 765 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA. In 2012, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and gained U.S. market share for the 18th consecutive year. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies. Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website - www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit http://www.kiamedia.com/. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at http://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

About Kelley Blue Book
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource^®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book^® Trade-In and Suggested Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies.  KBB.com provides consumer pricing and information on cars for sale, minivans, pickup trucks, sedan, hybrids, electric cars, and SUVs.  Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader Group.

¹ Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

SOURCE Kia Motors America