On 17 April, Fleet World hosted its annual Great British Fleet Awards at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, bestowing two major awards upon the Kia Sportage and the Kia EV9.
The Kia Sportage, the brand’s UK, Europe and worldwide best-seller, was named ‘Best Fleet Medium SUV’ in the ‘Fleet World Manufacturer Awards’, with the option of low emission powertrains bolstering the model’s appeal to fleet customers around the country. With benefit-in-kind rates from eight per-cent for the plug-in hybrid, and an electric range of up to 34 miles on a single charge, the Sportage offers maximum flexibility across a wide base of customer requirements, in this case excelling with fleet-focused interests at heart.
John Challen, Editor at Fleet World, commented on the Sportage’s award win: "In a congested and competitive segment, the Sportage stands out as a fantastic all-rounder. The upgraded interior makes the cabin even more user-friendly, while the addition of hybrid technology puts in firmly on the list of cars that fleets will be considering now and in the future.”
The Kia EV9, Kia’s latest and largest fully electric vehicle to join the line-up, was named ‘Best EV Large SUV’ as part of the ‘EV Fleet World Awards’. The current UK and World Car of the Year offers fleet customers zero-emissions motoring and a range of up to 349 miles on a single charge; all while offering space for six or seven – a luxury offered by very few competing models.
“Already voted UK Car of the Year for 2024, the Kia EV9 could be the electric vehicle that moves more drivers away from petrol or diesel car than any other. Key attributes include seven seats, a high quality interior and more miles from the battery to cure almost any case of range anxiety”, said John Challen.
Steve Hicks, Sales Director at Kia UK, commented: “These two awards are a brilliant recognition of our latest and greatest products, and once again a reinforcement of just how highly we value our fleet customers.
“Since the EV9 first went on sale at the end of 2023, it has proved an instant hit with our fleet customers, with fleet sales currently accounting for just over 40 per cent of all EV9 orders in the UK. Alongside the Niro EV and EV6, we are confident we have a strong all electric model line-up, suitable for any and all fleet-focused needs.
“The strength and depth of our UK line-up has been further echoed by this prestigious award for the Sportage, proving that our growing range of HEVs and PHEVs are just as crucial to our customers as our EVs.”
The Fleet World Great British Fleet Awards are held every year, and accolades are given out across just shy of 40 categories to reveal the movers and shakers in the fleet industry, judged by the expert panel of Fleet World Group editors.