20,000 entrants for first-ever Kia cee’d competition

• Pan-European competition attracts entrants from 21 countries
• Belgian participant wins grand final to claim Kia cee´d EX worth €28,000

Kia Motors Europe recently hosted the grand final of its first-ever pan-European promotional competition - the "cee´d European Test Drive Challenge" - at the Hockenheim racing circuit in Germany. The one-day grand final was attended by 70 participants from 21 countries. Finalists spent the morning familiarising themselves with the performance and handling of the Kia cee´d and receiving a safer driving course from professional instructors.

The afternoon was devoted to a series of slalom, parking, braking and reaction tests (against the clock), which fully demonstrated the car´s ABS and ESP systems and put each driver´s talent at the wheel of a Kia cee´d through a severe test.

Ultimately, 24-year old Mr Christophe Maquel from Belgium was judged by the jury to be a worthy winner. The architectural designer from Attert, near Arlon, was delighted to take home a top-of-the-range 1.6-litre diesel Kia cee´d EX five-door hatchback with optional Sport Pack, worth in the region of €28,000.

"Our pan-European test drive programme, and the "cee´d European Test Drive Challenge" competition which followed, attracted enormous interest and triggered enquiries from thousands of consumers who have not previously owned a Kia," commented Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. "Since the car´s launch in Europe last December, more than 80,000 cee´d five-door models have been delivered. The style, design, quality and durability of the Kia cee´d is playing a key role in winning over new C-segment customers to the Kia brand."

The "cee´d European Test Drive Challenge" competition was open to anyone taking a Kia cee´d test drive at a Kia dealership in Europe and attracted more than 20,000 entrants. Each entrant was given a ´boarding pass´ which enabled them to register on the competition website in their country and answer a series of cee´d-related questions. Each participating country held a prize-draw to select the individual who would progress to the grand final and enjoy a chance to win the Kia cee´d.

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Editors´ Notes

Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe is the European sales, marketing, and service arm of Kia Motors Corporation. With its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, it covers 29 markets in Europe.

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com) was founded in 1944 and is Korea´s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world´s premier automotive brands.

Kia´s 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in nine countries produce more than 1.3 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has 33,000 employees and annual revenues of US$19 billion.

Kia is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the
Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA - governing body of soccer´s FIFA World Cup. Kia boosted its football links this year with three new sponsorships of major teams that will see the Kia logo appearing in the UEFA Champions League - FC Girondins de Bordeaux, FC Brussels and Atletico de Madrid.

Kia Motors Corporation´s brand slogan - ´The Power to Surprise´ - represents the company´s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

Press Contact

Mr Panu Vainamo
Tel 0049 69 850 928 352 Email pvainamo@kia-europe.com

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 11, 60486 Frankfurt, Germany.
Tel 0049 69 850 928 352 Fax 0049 69 850 928 399