2014 Kia Forte Named Best New Compact Sedan By Cars.com

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America's (KMA) 2014 Forte has been named the Best New Compact Sedan of 2014 by Cars.com, putting Kia's European-inspired sedan in contention for the respected website's Best of 2014 award. Cars.com editors picked six cars to compete for the annual award, and the Forte topped its segment with its style, performance and value.

"The all-new Forte continues to earn praise for its sleek design, exceptional performance and plethora of features," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "Cars.com speaks for, not only the industry, but also car buyers, and we are happy to have the Forte recognized for elevating the compact segment to new levels of sophistication with its premium features, comfortable cabin and refined ride."

Cars.com will announce the Best of 2014 award winner at the North American International Auto Show in January, 2014. The Forte stood out in its category for offering a wide variety of features and options, edgy styling and a comfortable ride. Earlier this year, the 2014 Forte also took first prize in the Cars.com/USA Today/MotorWeek $20,000 Compact Sedan Challenge.

"People buy compact cars because they are affordable and efficient, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. "The Forte breaks the mold with its head-turning styling outside and an interior full of affordable creature comforts."

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 one of the lowest costs of ownership in the industry.  Kia recently moved up in the exclusive ranking of Interbrand's "Top 100 Best Global Brands" after joining the list for the first time last year, and the company is poised to continue its momentum after delivering seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles to 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 14,000 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, 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.

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. 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 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.

* 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 Cars.com
Cars.com is an award-winning online destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. Cars.com offers thousands of new and used vehicle listings, consumer reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and many other tools. Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions. Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

SOURCE Kia Motors America