Kia Motors has seen international recognition for a host of accomplishments in 2013, the first of which included the brand being ranked 37th on Interbrand’s list of 50 Best Global Green Brands 2013.

The honour marks a debut for the Korean car manufacturer on the annual ranking of sustainability and environmental performance of the world’s 100 most valuable brands. This recognition by Interbrand follows hot on the heels of Kia’s recent introduction to the 100 Best Global Brands 2012, where it placed 87th.

“In our view, the best green brands are those that are not only vital, relevant, powerful and pioneering, but also profitable, ethical and ecologically responsible. We applaud Kia Motor’s efforts aimed at sustainability in all facets of its global operations that have enabled the company to be named as one of our Best Global Green Brands 2013,” said Jez Frampton, Global CEO of Interbrand.

Under the slogan ‘A Better Way to Go’, Kia’s CSR activities’ highlight is the Green Light Project – a global initiative to build schools, provide children school buses to those without access to education, run disease prevention programmes and mobile clinics; resulting in a 15 per cent increase in CSR investment.

Two of Kia Motors America’s (KMA) most popular models, Kia Optima and Sportage, have also been named in AutoPacific’s annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) on the basis of the 17th annual survey results from 52,000 new vehicle owners.

“There is no doubt that competition is stronger than ever and winning the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards is further proof that Kia is offering a strong product lineup for today’s car buyers,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA. – TradeArabia News Service