The 2022 Kia Carnival takes the 2024 Platinum Wheel at the fifteenth annual WheelsTV POV of the Year judging, held at WheelsTV's headquarters in Groton, Massachusetts. The WheelsTV Pre-Owned Vehicle of the Year or POVY is an internationally recognized award presented each year to an outstanding light vehicle that has achieved exceptional consumer satisfaction and reliability over a span of more than two years.
GROTON, Mass., Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The 2022 Kia Carnival takes the Platinum Wheel at the fifteenth annual WheelsTV POV of the Year judging, held at WheelsTV's headquarters in Groton, Massachusetts.
The 2022 Kia Carnival, Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) has triumphed in the fifteenth annual WheelsTV POV of the Year Awards judging, taking the 2024 WheelsTV Platinum Wheel.
The WheelsTV Pre-Owned Vehicle of the Year or POVY is an internationally recognized award presented each year to an outstanding light vehicle that has achieved exceptional consumer satisfaction and reliability over a span of more than two years. While all new vehicles provide reliable service for the first few thousand miles, it takes an exceptional pre-owned vehicle to achieve outstanding grades from the motoring public and automotive press through years of reliable service.
"It is a distinct honor for the Carnival to be recognized as WheelsTV's Platinum Wheel award winner," said James Bell, Head of Corporate Communications, Kia America. "The 2024 WheelsTV POV of the Year is a further testament to Kia's commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, and inspires us to strive for excellence and deliver vehicles, like the Carnival, that set new standards in the industry."
Selecting the WheelsTV POV of the Year is a multi-step process. The distinguished judging panel of automotive experts spanning television, radio, print and online media meet in a closed session to first select category winners in nine very different categories: Hybrid, Electric, SUV, Crossover, Sporty Car, Small Car, Family Car, Light Truck and Luxury Vehicle. From these nine finalists, and after much discussion, analysis and horse (power) trading, a winner of the POVY's Platinum Wheel eventually emerges.
This year's judging panel included, John Paul, President of the New England Motor Press Association, AAA's "Car Doctor," a certified Master Automobile Technician, and auto writer for The Boston Globe and The Providence Journal; Craig Fitzgerald, editor of Subaru Drive and contributor to Hagerty's online buyers' guides; John Dinkel, contributor to SAE's Automotive Engineering magazine, former editor of Road and Track and author of books on Mazda and Toyota; Rick DeMeis, host of Rick's Tech Talk; Natalie Harrington, Senior Staff Writer at CarGurus and Trustee of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum; and Jerald Barisano, CEO of Texas World of Wheels Transportation Theme Park.
Automotive television was represented by Wayne Carini, host of Chasing Classic Cars television series, renowned car restorer and President of F40 Motorsports; Peter Ciani, Senior Writer/Producer at WheelsTV; Ant Romano, Client Services and Technology Lead at WheelsTV; and Jim Barisano, President of WheelsTV and creator of the Discovery Channel prime-time TV series Wild About Wheels.
Chris King, EVP of WheelsTV, moderated the online judging.
The Nine POVY Category Winners/Finalists for the 2024 WheelsTV Pre-Owned Vehicle of the Year are:
Hybrid: Toyota Prius Prime, Second Generation, 2017-2022
EV: Chevrolet Bolt EV, First Generation, 2017-2022
SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe, Fifth Generation, 2021-2022
Crossover: Ford Bronco, Sixth Generation, 2021-2022
Sporty Car: Corvette C6, Sixth Generation, 2005-2013
Small Car: Honda Civic Hatchback, Tenth Generation, 2015-2022
Family Car: Kia Carnival, Fourth Generation, 2022
Light Truck: Ford Maverick, First Generation, 2022
Luxury Car: Lexus LC 500, First Generation, 2018-2022
The 2022 Kia Carnival was a standout among the nine category finalists in the final round of judging, garnering a majority of the judges' votes for its outstanding value, reliability and high consumer satisfaction.
Upon the selection of the 2022 Kia Carnival, the judges shared their insights:
Wayne Carini stated: "The POV of the Year judging is an exceptional experience. It's done democratically so that the judges tap their collective expertise to select what we think is the best car and the best value for America's motorists. The 2022 Kia Carnival is a great family car and fully deserves to be named this year's WheelsTV POV of the Year."
Craig Fitzgerald pointed out many of the Carnival's top attributes: "Of the two-year-old vehicles we discussed in the POV Awards judging, the 2022 Kia Carnival stood out with 17 standard driver assistance technologies, the largest passenger and cargo volume in the segment, and Kia's uncluttered dash."
John Paul stated, "At a time when new cars are topping $50,000 and the average used car is closer to $28,000, there are many reasons why used cars outsell new models by 3 to 1. As a used car that is reliable, versatile, and with attractive styling, the Carnival appeals to families who want the practicality of a minivan with today's modern aesthetics and advanced safety and technology features."
Rick DeMeis added: "Members of the New England Motor Press gather to pick a Previously Owned Vehicle of the Year based on value for money--not just cost but utility, reliability, and drive-ability, for which the Carnival excels. The judging is fair and discussions fierce, with a dash of fun thrown in."
John Dinkel pointed out why the 2022 Carnival stood out: "Kia's Carnival won overall because it hits the bullseye in the areas of durability and reliability, which have become even more critical as technical advances dramatically increase vehicle complexity. It combines the utility of a family minivan with a winning roster of convenience and safety features."
Jerald Barisano noted his first-hand knowledge of Kia: "Having lived and worked in South Korea for more than seven years and witnessed Kia's commitment to quality, I was not surprised to see KIA win this year's award for the 2022 Carnival. It was an honor to serve as a judge at the fifteenth annual WheelsTV POV of the Year Awards."
About WheelsTV:
WheelsTV is the industry standard in video test drive reports with the world's largest library of over 7,500 independently produced video research tools covering the North American new and pre-owned light vehicle market. WheelsTV's video reports provide deeper engagement, greater excitement and quicker answers to millions of car shoppers across North America.
The WheelsTV production team's lineage extends to popular prime time automotive television series seen on the Discovery Network, PBS, Speedvision, the Family Channel and in 104 countries worldwide.
Contact WheelsTV at https://wheelstv.net or 978-264-4333.
About NEMPA:
The New England Motor Press Association was founded in 1987 to coordinate professional media coverage of the auto industry in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, whose 14.5 million citizens have unique demographics and automotive preferences. Membership in NEMPA is by invitation and open to carmakers and their public-relations and communications staffs, suppliers to the automotive industry, and trade and consumer auto show producers as well as to automotive journalists, videographers and photographers. NEMPA's media members appear on network and cable TV, on the Internet and radio, and in regional and national newspapers and magazines. https://nempa.org/
Media Contact
Jim Barisano, Automotive Networks Corporation, 1 9788357744, [email protected], https://www.WheelsTV.net
SOURCE WheelsTV
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