The 2015 Kia Soul EV has been honored as a 2015 Vincentric “Best Value in America” award winner in the Electric/Plug-in Hybrid category. Vincentric is a leading source of cost-of-ownership data and analysis within the automotive industry.
“The Kia brand has always stood for value, and even as we’ve grown and matured, adding ever more refined and diverse models to our lineup, we’ve never strayed from that commitment to our customers,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning, Kia Motors America.
“The Kia Soul EV, our first all-electric zero-emissions vehicle for the U.S. market continues that commitment. It offers iconic design, the best range of any vehicle in its class and superbly practical packaging, all at an affordable price. Being honored as a ‘Best Value in America’ by Vincentric is validation of Kia’s winning formula.”
Vincentric measures cost of ownership using eight different cost factors: depreciation, fees & taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost, and repairs. Utilizing this methodology, Vincentric identifies which vehicles have lower-than-expected ownership costs relative to other comparable offerings. The statistical process evaluates each vehicle across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
“As a first time winner of the ‘Best Value in America’ awards, the Kia Soul EV rose above the competition with a total cost of ownership that was more than 9% below expected. Contributing to its performance were low operating costs, which were powered, in part, by a 5-year, 60,000-mile comprehensive warranty,” stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric.
