New Kia Sorento wins prestigious design award
By Kia New Zealand Apr 16th 2015
Anticipation for the mid-April arrival of the all new Kia Sorento in New Zealand has escalated with the flagship SUV receiving a prestigious design award in Europe.
The third generation Sorento has won an ‘iF Design Award’ in Germany, a first for this model but an impressive seventh time for the Kia Motors brand, and buyers are already signing up to purchase the newcomer.
“We have taken a record number of advance orders for the new Sorento,” says Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.
“The sheer quality and outstanding design of the new Sorento is so impressive, a number of our buyers have chosen to purchase without actually seeing the vehicle – and their faith has now been underlined by the presentation of the ‘iF’ Design Award.”
Launched in 1953, the annual ‘iF Design Awards’ are among the world’s most important prizes for excellence in design, with businesses from 53 countries participating and more than 4,783 designs submitted, covering various categories from transportation to industrial products.
As well as awarding the Sorento for the overall quality of its design, the jury rated the vehicle on criteria such as finish, degree of innovation, environmental impact and safety.
Since 2010, at least one of the coveted awards has been scooped by Kia Motors, with previous winners from the marque including the Kia Sportage, Optima, Picanto, pro_cee’d and Soul.
“I am very proud of this award for the Kia Sorento, because it is recognition of the great advance in quality we have succeeded in achieving in this model,” says Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer of Kia Motors.
“The Sorento unites the classic poise of an SUV with a premium look and feel that is particularly tangible in the cabin. It offers the very highest design quality and excellent value for money. This is largely the achievement of our international design teams – which is also why I am so delighted with this award.”
The new Sorento was developed by the Kia design team in Namyang, Korea, assisted by the Kia Design Centres in Germany and California.
Bigger, roomier and more luxurious than the outgoing model, the confident new Sorento delivers a bold profile and distinctive road presence, which is complemented by top quality materials throughout the cabin.
The new Kia Sorento will be available as a 7-seat model in the New Zealand market, with a longer wheelbase providing more passenger room in the two rear rows, as well as more cargo space.
Available with a range of diesel and petrol engines, the new Kia Sorento goes on sale in New Zealand in mid-April.
