J.D. Power and Associates' 2013 Initial Quality Study (IQS) has ranked the Kia Soul and Kia Sportage as leaders in the Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle and Sub-Compact CUV segments, respectively, in the U.S. And, for the first time, Kia ranks among the automotive industry's top 10 nameplates for initial quality. The 2013 Soul ranked first in the Compact MPV segment for the second consecutive year, and the Sportage tied for the highest ranking in the Sub-Compact CUV category.

"Kia Motors is committed to building vehicles that are defined by award-winning design, fun-to-drive performance and world-class quality, and the Soul and Sportage epitomize these attributes," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO, Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Achieving top-ten status within the industry reflects just how far the Kia brand has come in improving the ownership experience and vehicle quality for our customers and advancing value to new levels of sophistication across our entire model line."

According to the IQS study, Kia made substantial improvements with gains that outpaced the industry average and resulted in the brand's best-ever score. The annual report analyzed responses from 83,442 respondents about 230 vehicle models and attributes across eight categories, including the driving experience, engine and transmission and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners.