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.
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Best New Model: 2021 Kia Seltos
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