Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

Kelley Blue Book’s Best Buy Awards for 2021: Here Are KBB’s Choices

Obtain the best financial rate for your car loan at Automobile En DirectSpeedy
Derek Boshouwers
The magazine makes its picks for the Best Buys in 16 car, SUV and truck categories

Every year, American firm Kelley Blue Book, recognized as a reference in the automotive industry by companies and consumers, hands out its Best Buy awards in a number of vehicle segments. The significance of these awards makes it worth doing a rundown of the choices for 2021 in 16 different car, SUV and truck categories.

Discover Shopicar! All new makes and models and all current promotions.

Best New Model: 2021 Kia Seltos

2021 Kia Seltos
2021 Kia Seltos | Photo: D.Boshouwers

For the second year in a row, the Rookie of the Year trophy goes to a Kia model. Last year’s big Telluride is followed up in 2021 by the significantly smaller Seltos.

KBB highlights the all-new Seltos’ winning balancing act between comfort, space, urban practicality and fuel economy, and tips it hat at the model’s ability to do that even while sporting a stylish exterior.

What KBB liked:

- Roominess, both in front and in the second row
- Comfortable front seats
- Reclining back seats
- Excellent interior finishing and amenities
- Lots of safety tech
- Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, standard 8-inch screen
- Best-in-class cargo space
- Reasonable base-model price point
- Solid Kia warranty

As you’ll see further along, the Seltos also took home the Best Buy Award for 2021 in the Subcompact SUV category – though of course, like other in-betweenies like the Nissan Qashqai and Chevy’s Trailblazer, the Kia crossover actually sits astride the subcompact and compact SUV categories in terms of its dimensions.

See also: 2021 Kia Seltos Review: When’s a subcompact not a subcompact?

See also: 2021 Kia Seltos pictures

2021 Kia Seltos, front
2021 Kia Seltos, front | Photo: D.Boshouwers
2021 Kia Seltos, interior
2021 Kia Seltos, interior | Photo: D.Boshouwers
Derek Boshouwers
Derek Boshouwers
Automotive expert
  • Over 5 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 50 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 30 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists