Kia Sportage Named 2011 International Truck at Detroit Auto Show

The 2011 International Truck of the Year award was presented by Road and Travel Magazine with sponsorship by Bridgestone Tire at the Detroit Auto Show. To be eligible for the ICOTY award, vehicles must be sold in the U.S. and be either all-new or significantly changed from the previous generation in design and/or technology.

In a press release, Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, Kia Motors America, said, "The 2011 Sportage is an eye-catching CUV that appeals to a wide audience with its unique combination of breathtaking design, value, quality, technology and standard safety features. Since its debut last summer, Sportage's popularity and consumer appeal has outpaced supply in our showrooms."

The Sportage has been a huge hit for Kia in terms of sales. It sold 42,500 of them in 2010 compared to 23,000 in 2009. Kia is coming off its best year ever. It ended 2010 with record annual sales of 356,268 units, up 18.7-percent over 2009 and a 16.6-percent increase over the annual mark set in 2007.

The ICOTY jury consists of 12 diverse automotive writers and editors who represent automotive publications, including Kelley Blue Book, AutoWeek, Consumer Guide Automotive, MSN Autos, Truck Trend, NewCarTestDrive.com and Cars.com. Completed voting ballots are sent to J.D. Power and Associates for final tabulation to ensure accuracy and credibility.