KIA RIO WINS PRESTIGIOUS ´AUTOBEST 2006´ AWARD

• New Kia Rio model beats Clio and Focus to take the Autobest 2006 title
• Influential motoring writers from 12 Central/Eastern European countries vote for Rio as the No1 for offering ´great versatility´

Kia Motors Europe Headquarters, Eschborn, Germany - 15 December 2005

A jury of influential motoring writers from 12 Central/Eastern European countries has voted the Kia Rio winner of the prestigious ´Autobest 2006´ award for ´the new car most suitable for the needs of the population of the region, thoroughly modern, with new technology and affordable to buy.´

Announcing the 2006 winner, Autobest Chairman, Mr Dan Vardie commented: "This year´s competi-tion was very tight and the Kia Rio emerged as the winner thanks to its fantastic value for money, great versatility, and the important strides made by Kia in developing an excellent dealer network across all of Europe."

With a total score of 706 points, the Kia Rio comfortably surpassed its shortlisted contenders - the Ford Focus (659), Renault Clio (599), Chevrolet Spark (467, known as Matiz in some markets) and Suzuki Swift (449) - to claim the crown. The 2006 shortlist of finalists was selected after each jury member proposed the five all-new models they regarded as the ´best´ cars of the year that cost less than €15,000.

"The Autobest 2006 award for the Kia Rio is a splendid achievement for the growing Kia brand," enthused Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. "Jury members from the emerging Eastern European countries have given our B-Segment newcomer the strongest possible
endorsement as the ideal car for motorists in this region.

Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice-President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation commented: "This award marks the first time that an Asian car maker has been awarded a car of the year
distinction by Autobest in the ´emerging markets´ of Europe, which clearly demonstrates that Kia is in tune with the needs of European consumers and is committed to expansion throughout our largest overseas market."

Established in 2001, the ´Autobest Among Emerging Markets´ group is the leading motoring
organisation in Central and Eastern Europe. The 12 countries taking part in the Autobest programme are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Romania, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slo-venia, Turkey and Ukraine. These countries represent a total market of more than 200 million people and the Autobest award programme is now considered the second-largest independent annual
European motoring assessment after the European Car of the Year (COTY) award.

Each judge from the 12-strong Autobest jury has up to 240 points they can allocate across 13 ´criteria zones´ under which the candidate cars are assessed. The cars are rated for Interior, Exterior, Hand-ling, Dynamics, Comfort, Technology, Versatility, Safety, Fuel Economy, Environment, Spare Parts, Distributors and Price.

Previous winners were the Dacia Logan (2004), Fiat Panda (2003) and Citroen C3 (2002).

- 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 Eschborn, Germany, it covers 28 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) - one of the fastest growing automakers in the world - 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 16 manufacturing and assembly operations in 12 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 155 countries. Kia today has 32,000 employees and annual revenues of US$14 billion.

Kia is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. 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

Dr. Iris von Kirschbaum
Tel 0049 6196 5092 132 Email i.kirschbaum@kia-europe.com

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Hauptstrasse 185, 65760 Eschborn, Germany.
Tel 0049 6196 5092 132 / Fax 0049 6196 5092 100