Kia Sportage was chosen as the winner from a field of 15 vehicles in the running for the award. The finalists included premium vehicles like Alfa Romeo Tonale, BMW X 1, Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 308, BMW X1, Honda HR-V, Kia Carens, Opel Astra, Toyota Yaris Cross, DS 4, Hyundai Elantra, Opel Mokka and Seat Leon. The winning vehicle was selected based on a set of criteria that covered design, price/performance ratio, innovation, ability and practicality, and emission level (eco-friendliness).

Moulay Ahmed Belghiti, President of Les Ecos, led the judging panel consisting of automotive journalists and experts including Essam Chraibi, Founder and Editorial Director at Wandaloo, David Jeremie, Motoring Reporter at Challenge, Leila Benjelloun, General Manager and Editor-in-Chief at Golf du Maroc and Mohamed Akisra, Managing Editor at Le Matin newspaper. According to the panel, Kia Sportage stood out from the other finalists due to its exceptional performance across all evaluation criteria, earning a total of 382 points, ahead of DS 4 with 332 points and the Peugeot with 242 points.

Yaser Shabsogh, Chief Operating Officer, Regional HQs, Middle East & Africa commented “We are grateful to the AIVAM for recognizing our efforts in the market by awarding Kia Sportage as the ‘Car of the Year 2023’ in Morocco. The Kia Sportage harmonizes driving pleasure, passenger comfort and aesthetics without any compromise. This award is a testament to our commitment towards delivering high-quality vehicles that meets the needs of the Moroccan market. We will continue to work towards bringing even more premium, innovative, and sustainable vehicles to the region.”

The Car of the Year Morocco award is a prestigious accolade that recognizes the most suitable vehicles for the Moroccan market. This award also further underlines the mission of AIVAM, which is to raise public awareness of the Morocco’s automotive sector. The association helps facilitate people and goods’ mobility by improving the rate of automotive equipment or motorization at the national level.