The Kia Sportage has earned its place as Car of the Year in both Spain and Greece, recognizing its outstanding value in the fiercely competitive European compact SUV market.

Kia’s Sportage claimed the prestigious title at the ‘2023 Car of the Year in Spain’ organized by the prominent Spanish media outlet ABC. This is the first time Kia has won the Car of the Year award in Spain.

Now in its 51st edition, the Spain Car of the Year is considered the most authoritative automotive award in the country, with the final car decided by a vote from 34 major automotive journalists and public voters. Assessment criteria included design, new technology, reliability, performance, and safety.

The Sportage garnered 25.13% of the votes, surpassing competitors like the Renault Austral (15.30%), Cupra Born (8.59%), Peugeot 308 (7.12%), Opel Astra (6.20%), and Alfa Romeo Tonale (6.14%) to secure the title.

The judging panel described the Sportage’s interior as harmoniously blending a panoramic curved display equipped with the latest connectivity technologies and an elegant, voluminous exterior design. They also noted the attractiveness of its diverse lineup, which includes gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options.

In Greece, the Sportage continued its winning streak, being selected as the ‘2023 Car of the Year in Greece’ by the selection committee.

The Car of the Year selection committee, composed of 25 Greek automotive journalists, shortlisted 10 candidates, including the Sportage, in November and selected the final Car of the Year after test-driving evaluations.

The Sportage achieved a total score of 399 points, significantly outscoring its competitors. The Opel Astra, which ranked second, received 276 points, while the BMW X1 and Peugeot 308 received 258 points each, followed by the DS 4 with 239 points, and the Toyota Yaris Cross with 226 points.

Kia explained that the Sportage left a profound impression on judges with its advanced specifications powered by cutting-edge connectivity technology, along with its focus on safety, new technologies, quality, and driving performance.

A Kia representative stated, “The Sportage’s recognition as Car of the Year is an honor, acknowledging its competitiveness in the European market’s compact SUV segment. We remain committed to providing our customers with the best products through the efforts of our entire workforce.”

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Sportage also won the titles of Family SUV of the Year and Hybrid Car of the Year at the Scottish Car of the Year awards, continuing its positive reception across Europe.

The German automotive magazine ‘Auto Zeitung’ recently ranked the Sportage first in a compact hybrid SUV comparison test, beating out the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Qashqai, and Mazda CX-4.

In the Western European market, over 132,000 units of the Sportage were sold by November this year, marking a 54% increase compared to the same period last year, making it the best-selling model for Kia in Europe.

Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr