Kia opens all-new European Headquarters in Frankfurt

• €74 million facility will enable Kia to deliver the best services to customers
• Headquarters building also houses Kia´s first independent Design Centre

Kia Motors Corporation will host the Official Opening Ceremony of its all-new European Headquarters in Frankfurt this evening (Monday) before an invited audience of more than 250 VIP guests.

Built alongside the famous Messe Frankfurt trade fair complex in the very heart of the city, Kia´s new headquarters building represents an investment of €74 million and is the company´s most prominent demonstration of its long-term commitment to creating a successful future as a major automotive force in Europe.

Speaking after a tour of the new building, President and CEO Kia Motors Corporation, Mr Euisun Chung commented, "I am delighted to witness the completion of our new European Headquarters building and to see for myself what a distinctive and tasteful landmark it will become for our brand at the centre of this thriving city. These new headquarters will allow us to keep closely in touch with the developing needs and tastes of European consumers and to deliver to them vehicles and services best suited to their changing lifestyles."

The 57-metre high, 10-storey Kia headquarters has more than 27,000 sqm of floorspace, with two underground car parking floors, and houses Kia´s Pan-European sales, marketing and after-sales operations, plus a sales academy, technical service centre and a spacious ground-floor lobby where cars can be displayed. The headquarters will accommodate a total of 350 Kia staff and 200 staff from affiliated groups in Europe.

Four floors are dedicated to the new independent Design Centre, encompassing design studios, modelling workshops and paint facilities, plus a special presentation room featuring a retractable roof for viewing prototypes and concepts under natural light.

The design team for the new Kia headquarters was led by two principle architects - Mr Yutata Omehara (Japan) and Mr Jochen Holzwarth (Germany).

The Official Opening, which begins at 18.30 hrs, will be attended by representatives of the regional Hessen Government and the Korean Embassy, and the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, together with Kia suppliers, distributors and dealers, and German and international media.

Tomorrow, Kia will be holding the World Premieres of three all-new vehicles at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, during its press conference on Stand A14 in Hall 4 at 13.15 hrs.

- Ends -

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