OREANDA-NEWS. The 2016 Soul has been acknowledged as the “Best Compact Car for Families” by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News evaluated more than 250 vehicles and named winners across 21 categories.  The 2016 Best Cars for Families winners have a combination of high safety and reliability ratings, excellent reviews from the automotive press and technology and convenience features that cater to families.

“We’re honored that U.S. News named the Soul the Best Family Car within the compact category for 2016,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning KMA.  “The iconic urban passenger vehicle has numerous features geared toward families on the go who are looking for advanced driver assistance systems, cutting-edge technology, spacious passenger seating, and cargo space.”

The award methodology combines professional automotive reviews, safety and reliability ratings, seating and cargo volume figures and the availability of family friendly features.  Within each of the 21 categories, the vehicle with the highest composite score is named the Best Car for Families in that category.

"The 2016 Kia Soul is a great choice for families who want a vehicle with a small footprint, but plenty of interior space,” said Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor, U.S. News & World Report.  “In addition to its roomy and comfortable passenger cabin, the Soul has the safety features to give parents peace of mind and the entertainment features to keep the peace in the backseat."

2016 Kia Soul
The extremely popular Soul ups its “wow” factor for the 2016 model year with a host of new style and convenience features.  Owners can express their unique individualism through a new Designer Collection that plays up the Soul’s fun-loving attitude with a two-tone paint scheme.

Three unique trim levels (Base, Plus, and Exclaim) remain, and each one adds new features for the 2016 model year. Alloy wheels now come standard across all models.  Meanwhile, Base models equipped with the Convenience Package add a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, SiriusXM® satellite radio, and integrated Rear Camera Display.

The new Designer Collection package, inspired by its all-electric sibling, the Soul EV, brings new style with two visually striking two-toned color combinations: white with a red roof, or red with a black roof. In addition, the Designer Collection also adds 18-inch alloy wheels with black spokes and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob.  The Exclaim now comes standard with leather-trimmed seats. Also new to Exclaim is the Premium Package, which elevates the driving experience with desirable convenience features including Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS)2 and Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS)2, both of which are new to the Soul.

About U.S. News Best Cars
Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News publishes the Best Cars awards, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families. U.S. News Best Cars had over 45 million unique visitors over the past year, with over 65 percent of visitors actively shopping for a car. 80 percent of active shoppers reported that the U.S. News Best Cars site influenced their car purchasing decision. 

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.  KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2015, surpassing the 600,000 unit mark for the first time in company history. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900** flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States.  Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.