[beerman]

This time of the year brings the various awards for vehicles.

Kia is giving big brother a smacking.

In viewing the RACQ car awards (with some mag I cant recall) The only Hyundai flying the flag was the Iload people mover. Whilst Kia got awards for the Rio (no mention of the i20) and the best SUV over 40k for the Sorento. The Optima also gave the I40 a touch up.

The Sportage also finished 2nd to the VW with Hyundai nowhere in sight.

http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars/car_reviews/australias_best_cars/australias-best-cars-2011#product-5

The Rio also claimed the Carsguide car of the year award.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/kia-rio-is-the-king-of-the-road/story-fn7kjcme-1226223446632

I know that the I30 is due for a new model in 12, and will no doubt reclaim its mantle as best, but what about the I40? I had expected more from it this year, getting touched up by the Optima, which has been out for a couple of years is not a good result for the model.

Excellent result for Kia, but what does it mean for Hyundai, are they experiencing the blues that come after improving so much, and now are being judged on the premium prices they now command? (lets face it the I40 isn't eye blowing cheap at the list price on which these are judged).

As an aside, good to see the LPI Falcon take the top gong. If they can get over themselves with the 42k list price, and improve their design/build quality they might be onto a winner.

[rustynutz]

You do have to take into account that the Hyundai i40 is a wagon but is being compared with sedans.
So the very fact that you pay more for a wagon and that they traditionally don't handle quite as well, then I'd say the i40 still did pretty damn good to be right up there.....

[Surferdude]

^^^^^^

The Accent was second to the Kia and only 10 points behind.
As the Kia has a 6 speed gearbox and the Accent, 5, I'd reckon that would be worth more than the 10 points overall in the way they score those things.
5 speed/ 6 speed? Doesn't worry me one way or the other abd in fact I drove the 6 speed Corolla when I bought the i30.
Meh.

[Lakes]

the Kia Reo won the carguid award in NSW too, back in 2007 i30 CRDi won it.
but i see or have seen more Hyundai Accent both sedan & hatch back ( the new model ) here in sydney than i've seen Kia reo new model.
back in its day the Layland P76 won Wheels Car of year award. & that was one ugly mother of a car, but drove well performed well with the alloy 3.5 V8.

but if you get the first of any model your got the new girl on the block, but also will be a pioneer of any teething problems, not to say they will have them.

but good on Kia  they make some nice looking cars, i've never driven one though.

[Dazzler]

Thanks Beerman.. I'll have to check that out in more detail later.. I would have thought that the 1.7 CRDi i40 would have been right up there but the list prices are starting to work against them as you say...

[rustynutz]

the Kia Reo won the carguid award in NSW too, back in 2007 i30 CRDi won it.
but i see or have seen more Hyundai Accent both sedan & hatch back ( the new model ) here in sydney than i've seen Kia reo new model.
back in its day the Layland P76 won Wheels Car of year award. & that was one ugly mother of a car, but drove well performed well with the alloy 3.5 V8.

but if you get the first of any model your got the new girl on the block, but also will be a pioneer of any teething problems, not to say they will have them.

but good on Kia  they make some nice looking cars, i've never driven one though.

Yep, winning Car of the Year is certainly no guarantee of it being a great car, perfect example is the Holden Camira...what a piece of crap that was....

I had a girlfriend some years back who owned a Kia Rio sedan so got to drive it regularly...
I must say it quite impressed me, it handled reasonably and had more than adequate performance......(the car wasn't so bad either)
Actually, It was probably part responsible for me being open to considering a Hyundai down the track...

[2i30s]

well after all Russ,the Hyundai and KIA are the same, but with different bodies.