My vote for car company of the decade We now compare with companies such as Toyota. We are on the same level," said Thomas Oh, second in command at Kia's global headquarters in Seoul. Oh argues that his company beats "losers" (his word) such as Peugeot and Renault in terms of quality and quantity. "It's self-explanatory," he said. These guys are depending too much on the French and European marketplaces. They've failed to develop overseas markets and rising markets. We're very different. Literally translated, Kia means Rising Asia. Kia is indeed on the rise. In 1970 it produced only 6,775 vehicles. Thirty years later annual production hit one million. Last year it was 2.5 million. There are only 49 million people in South Korea (compared with 127 million in Japan), so there's a desperate shortage of home-grown workers, which means that Chinese, American, Slovakian Brazilian, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Russian workers have had to be recruited to man Kia-built car factories on their own soil. South Korean-built Kias include the new Quoris which, along with the Kia Cerato and Carens, has this week been officially nominated for the 2013 World Car of the Year (WCotY) award. The Quoris is aimed at customers who might be in the market for a Jaguar XJ, BMW 7-series or the like. It terms of image, it can't touch these and other high-end models produced by the established prestige European manufacturers, but as an eerily quiet, opulent product it's as good, as comfortable and as entertaining to drive as most of its luxury rivals. Rear-wheel drive and a surprisingly fine eight-speed transmission mated to a 3.8-litre V6 petrol or diesel engine mean that it looks good on paper - yet it also looks good in the metal. The quality of the overall architecture, the exquisite interior and the almost regal driver/passenger experience are its most appealing features. There are too many gadgets and gizmos for my liking but they are consistent with South Korea's obsession with state-of-the-art technology. The Quoris can even be ordered with heated and ventilated rear seats with reclining backrests, sliding cushions and leg supports. Pricing details and availability in Europe are yet to be decided. The good news is that this palatial barge on wheels will definitely be cheaper than its rivals. Not so encouraging is the suggestion from Kia that right-hand drive versions will not be built for the time being. Kia's ambition is reinforced by its onslaught of new models. The new Sorento hits British showrooms in November and the latest generation Pro_cee'd will be unveiled at the Paris motor show next week, prior to going on sale in the UK by spring, costing from about £15,000. The new Carens arrives at about the same time. The next Optima hybrid will follow, with 100 per cent electric and other alternatively fuelled models by 2014. "We've been working on and extensively testing a variety of new technology vehicles," says Oh. Be they electric, part electric, hybrid, or hydrogen cars - if our customers need them, we are prepared to design, build and sell them. Staying with Kia, it is currently offering the following savings: Picanto price drops across the range, with up to £1,700 off Halo models. Rio savings of £500-£1,000. Venga and Soul - minimum £1,000 discount, up to £1,600 off entry-level Venga, both with 0 per cent HP finance. New Cee'd five-door and Sportswagon estate £750-£1,000 savings. Discounts on outgoing vehicles include £2,000 off the Carens, £1,000 off the Sedona and a reduction of £1,500 on the Sorento. Mike Rutherford is a World Car of the Year juror and steering committee director