The Kia Rio conquered some high-performance challengers to take the victory amongst all nominated vehicles at the annual Nigerian Automobile Journalists Association (NAJA) awards. The Kia Rio was adjudged to have ticked all the boxes in terms of value for money, safety, innovation, technology and dynamics.

 

The third generation Kia Rio's fantastic engines, great handling, and lighter platform has been adjudged the best amongst its competing brands.

 

"Our 2015 Car of the Year, the Kia Rio, is one of the finest driving vehicles in the world at an affordable price," Vice President, Nigeria Automobile Journalists Association (NAJA), Mike Ochonma, said while giving details of the COTY Award, "The Nigeria Car of the Year competition has been around over the years and the strictest criteria apply to the finalists," he stated, adding that "Kia Rio's popularity on Nigerian roads cannot be overemphasized and is well within reach of the average consumer."

 

In October this year, NAJA members started conducting their annual assessment of all selected cars that are eligible to be included in the car of the year category. The leading auto journalists do not give their personal opinion about a car but they also drive the cars in the same driving conditions to ensure that they are comparing the driving experience fairly. All the cars go through rigorous testing, which also includes driving on different Nigerian roads.

 

At the awards ceremony held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, the NAJA's judges revealed that the Kia Rio had won because of its sophistication and for its fuel efficiency as much as for its handling and driver involvement.

 

The NAJA vice president, on behalf of the award screening committee stated that, the selection criteria were rigorous, adding that at some point, the committee members were at a deadlock on arriving on certain decisions. He said a number of factors were applied as parameters to select the car that emerged as the eventual winner. These factors, he noted, included but not limited to each car's value proposition in terms of road handling, stability, functionality, comfort, safety features, overall design, availability and accessibility of spare parts and product affordability including popularity.

 

According to the Chief Commercial Officer, Kia Motors Nigeria, Sandeep Malhotra, "Kia will continue to build cars that brighten people's lives and exceed their expectations. The Kia Rio has just upped the ante once again. We aim to become a "one-and-only" brand for our customers. A brand they will choose again and again."

 

He said that the Kia Rio is intelligently designed and expertly engineered, in which every single detail of both its exterior and interior seems meticulously thought-out, adding that the Kia Rio, which is also dubbed as the People's Car, is a top-of-the-segment sub-compact car featuring the engineering prowess, future-proofed safety technologies and classic design elements that ensure that it will remain remarkable for years to come.

 

The annual NAJA Award, which is the most respected automotive award in Nigeria, attracts a lot of excitement and suspense among stakeholders within and outside the industry.

Source : allafrica.com