DESIGN AWARD FOR NEW KIA SPORTAGE

• New Sportage is only vehicle selected among the 2004 award winners
• Export sales of Sportage compact SUV expected to exceed 100,000 in 2005
• European orders for Sportage pass 18,590 in just four months

Kia Motors Europe Headquarters, Eschborn, Germany - 13 December 2004

The all-new Kia Sportage compact SUV has won a prestigious ´Korean Industrial Design Award´ for 2004, in recognition of its innovative and attractive styling. The Sportage was the only vehicle to feature among the 10 award winners chosen from 170 entries in this year´s competition.

In Europe, consumer demand for the new four-wheel-drive Kia Sportage is booming and order books at Kia dealerships are also filling up fast. Kia anticipates Sportage retail sales of more than 35,000 units in Europe during 2005.

New Sportage is designed to offer customers the best benefits of three different vehicle types - in one high-quality, stylish package. The smooth ride, agile handling and overall refinement of a Passenger Car… the exterior style, high driving position, easy access and all-wheel grip of an SUV… and the load carrying ability and seating versatility of a Wagon… are combined to create a uniquely attractive Kia.

Sportage is a multi-choice vehicle, offering customers three engines, two drivetrains, two transmissions, two equipment levels and a wide range of premium options. It also offers the ´diesel engine plus automatic´ combination that is so popular with European buyers, but rarely available on a compact SUV.

Customers will be able to enhance the sporty elegance of their Sportage by choosing the ´Monotone´ exterior finish - with all external components painted in body colour. They will also be able to opt for Kia´s best-ever ´Premium Package´ interior. This option features top quality, orange-brown leather upholstery and trim, with brushed aluminium and chrome metal detailing, to contrast strikingly with the black trim panels and deep-pile carpets.

Longer (4350 mm), wider (1800 mm) and higher (1695 mm) than the average small SUV, the new Sportage features a unique rear seat design. This ´FlatFold´ system lowers the cushion into the rear foot well and ensures the backrest folds down to create a spacious, square-sided, flat-floored cargo area that is 1635 mm long.

Welcoming the design award, Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO Kia Motors Corporation, commented: "Just months after its launch, the Sportage has become immensely popular, partly thanks to its performance, versatility and safety features, but also because of its chic and sporty exterior styling and interior design. The overall appearance of Sportage is absolutely in tune with modern aesthetics, and the new range of cool colours are particularly appealing to younger customers."

Since launch, 22,346 Sportage vehicles have been delivered to customers and a further 18,600 units are in transit to buyers around the globe. Next year, Kia is planning to export more than 104,000 Sportage vehicles to overseas markets, including more than 40,000 exports to Europe.

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Editors Notes

Korean Industrial Design Awards
The annual Korean industrial design awards were introduced in 1997 and are now acknowledged as the country´s foremost accolade for outstanding design by domestic manufacturing companies.

Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe is the European sales, marketing, and service arm of Kia Motors Corporation. With its headquarters in Eschborn, Germany, it covers 20 markets in Europe. The European sales target is 300,000 units per year by 2005, thanks to new products and new diesel engines.

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com), which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2004, is among the world´s fastest growing automobile companies. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to be a ´Top 5´ global automaker by 2010. Kia´s 15 manufacturing and assembly operations in 12 countries make more than one million vehicles each year. These vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 190 countries.

Founded in 1944, Kia Motors Corporation is Korea´s oldest manufacturer of automobiles. Kia today has 30,000 employees and annual revenues of US$ 12 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and the international sponsor of the Davis Cup.

Press Contact:

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Hauptstrasse 185, 65760 Eschborn, Germany.
Tel.: +49 (6196) 509 2132 / Fax.: +49 (6196) 509 2100