Kia Soul, Rio and Optima earn top rankings based on J.D. Power study

Kia Motors America recently received awards for three of its vehicles, the 2013 Optima, Rio and Soul, which ranked at or near the top of their respective segments within the J.D. Power 2013 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. A global marketing information services company, J.D. Power provides performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions based on responses from millions of consumers annually.

The Soul claimed the highest ranking in the “Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)” category for the second year in a row, while the Optima and Rio came in second in the “Midsize” and “Sub-Compact” car segments, respectively. The APEAL Study measures new-vehicle buyers’ satisfaction based on ratings of Design, Performance, Comfort, Features and Style. This year’s study emphasizes the importance of technology in today’s cars. 

 “Kia’s rankings in the J.D. Power APEAL Study are a tribute to the tremendous strength of our model line,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing and communications, KMA. “Kia has become an industry leader for design, quality, safety and user-friendly technology, and delivering all of these world-class attributes at a great value is central to our brand promise. Being recognized in the APEAL Study strongly reinforces to consumers that Kia is offering the right model mix with the right feature set.”

The 2013 APEAL Study ranks cars based on responses from over 83,000 purchasers and lessees who are surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership. The vehicles are evaluated across 77 attributes, including overall mechanical, performance and design quality.