Essendon Football Club would like to congratulate co-major sponsor Kia Motors Australia after the Kia Rio was named Carsguide Car of the Year for 2011.

The small Korean hatch-back beat a field of 10 strong finalists for this year's most-coveted Australian motoring award.

Kia Motors Australia recently signed with the club as a co-major partner for the next five years in what is believed to be one of the largest co-major partnerships in AFL history as well as one of the largest individual sponsorships in Australian sport.