Kia becomes first non-premium brand ever to earn top ranking in J.D. Power Initial Quality Study for second consecutive year

Five Kia vehicles – the most of any nameplate – earn IQS segment awards.

Kia posts the lowest number of problems in the last 20 years of the J.D. Power study After ranking highest in the entire industry in 2016, Kia improved 11 points as owners reported fewer issues with their Kia vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership than all other car and truck brands in the U.S..

Kia's Soul, Forte, Cadenza, Niro and Sorento topped their respective categories, with the Cadenza achieving the lowest average number of problems among all models ranked in the study MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 22, 2017 /CNW/ - After being the first non-premium brand in 27 years to do so last year, Kia is proud to once again be recognized as the top nameplate in J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study for the second consecutive year – the first time ever a non-premium brand has achieved the feat.

Kia's improvement to 72 problems per 100 vehicles marks the best nameplate performance within the last 20 years of the study, driven by five segment awards – the most of any nameplate – for the Soul (Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle), Forte (Compact Car), Cadenza (Large Car), Niro (Small SUV) and Sorento (Midsize SUV). The Kia Soul took home an IQS award for the third consecutive year while Kia's two newest models, Cadenza and Niro, were outstanding performers in their first model year, with the Kia Cadenza earning the top score among all models ranked in the study. Together with the Optima and Sportage, each of the seven award eligible Kia models included in the 2017 IQS study finished first or second in their respective categories.

"We're thrilled to be the first-ever, non-premium brand, to finish as the top-ranked nameplate in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study in back-to-back years," said Ted Lancaster, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). "As an award based on direct customer feedback on vehicle quality, we take great pride in knowing that we are delivering a top-class product to all of our Canadian customers."

The annual report analyzed responses from 77,415 respondents with regards to 243 vehicle models across 26 segments. Vehicles were evaluated on driving experience, engine and transmission performance and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners.