World premiere for new Kia cee´d at Paris Show

• 20-model range of all-new Kia cee´d five-door hatchbacks revealed
• Revolutionary 7-year / 150,000 kilometre warranty for all cee´d cars
• 2007 cee´d ´sporty wagon´ and ´pro-cee´d´ concept debut in France
• Upgraded flagship model 2007 Kia Opirus with more powerful V6

Created especially for European consumers, the eagerly awaited all-new Kia cee´d model, will make its world premiere at the Mondial de L´Automobile in Paris tomorrow (Thursday). This new C-segment model marks a major turning point in Kia´s history. It is the first-ever Kia designed and manufactured in Europe, and will introduce a qualitative revolution for the brand. The highest standards of engineering and European-style aesthetics have been applied to every aspect of its exterior, interior, fixtures and fittings.

Unquestionably, the Kia cee´d will be the brand´s strongest-ever contender for C-segment honours when it goes on sale across Europe in December 2006. "With the new Kia cee´d we are presenting consumers in Europe with a very surprising family car, with excellent quality and performance, and a clean modern appearance," commented Jung-Moon Park, Senior Executive Vice President and COO Kia Motors Corporation.

"Our Kia teams in Germany and Korea have designed the new cee´d to surpass the expectations of Kia customers and to attract European consumers who have not yet considered our brand. They have created a truly competitive vehicle that is stylish and practical. I am sure that the new Kia cee´d will have great appeal to people all across Europe, while demonstrating our brand´s Power to Surprise," concluded COO Park.

20-versions ensure maximum customer choice
A genuine rival to the established C-segment class leaders, cee´d will power Kia into the main stream of Europe´s most closely fought market sector. Rising to the challenge of be-coming a top global player in the automotive industry, Kia has not only invested the talent and funding to create an all-new factory (at Zilina, in Slovakia) and produce an all-new mo-del, it is also offering consumers an unprecedented level of choice.

Maximum customer choice is one of the core themes behind the introduction of cee´d five-door which will be available in 20 versions, with five engines, three trim/equipment levels, four interior concepts, five interior centre-stack styles, seven different trim fabrics and 12 exterior colours - in left- and right-hand drive - so Kia customers will be able to tailor the new model to their personal tastes.

The 4.2-metre long cee´d has an unusually long wheelbase (2,650 mm) and will offer class-leading interior space, plus highly competitive levels of equipment and state-of-the-art acti-ve and passive safety. The range of five engines will include 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre CVVT gasoline engines, plus 1.6 and 2.0-litre VGT diesel engines.

"New cee´d will be Kia´s best-ever challenger for C-segment honours in the European marketplace. It is going to look better, feel better, drive better and sell better. It is certain to revolutionise Kia´s fortunes in this sector," enthused Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe.

"cee´d really is a great car. Once consumers have seen it, touched it and sampled its performance, they will surely be convinced that a decision to buy a Kia cee´d is indeed the right choice. To attract new customers to Kia, we have a range of exciting marketing campaigns and promotions planned for the autumn and will reveal details of these nearer that time," concluded Mr Lievens.

Revolutionary Kia warranty is a ´first´ for auto industry in Europe*
The all-new Kia family of cee´d models will be backed by the ´best´ new vehicle warranty ever offered, by any manufacturer, on cars marketed in Europe*. Every Kia cee´d marketed by Kia Motors Europe will benefit from a 7-year / 150,000 kilometre new car warranty, comprising five years cover on the entire car and an additional two years cover for the po-wertrain. The warranty will be free and transferable to subsequent owners, provided the vehicle is regularly maintained in accordance with the servicing schedule.

Stylish ´sporty wagon´ for September 2007
At Paris, Kia is also revealing a pre-producton estate model, the cee´d ´sporty wagon´ that will go on sale next September, the second model in the cee´d family. The 4470 mm long, 1490 mm high, sporty wagon is the second model in the new Kia cee´d family of cars. A first in the C-segment, it features a tailgate shaped like an inverted ´L´ with its hinges set back over the load area so the tailgate rises almost vertically, giving enhanced access to the large-capacity cargo area that has additional storage below the floor.

pro_cee´d concept car points to future model
Kia briefed its European design team to create a ´teaser´ for the all-new Kia cee´d ´sporty hatch´ which will become the third model in the cee´d line-up from December 2007. The resulting concept car, called the pro_cee´d, shown at Paris, actually looks very similar to the ´sporty hatch´ model and highlights this new three-door model´s dynamic, muscular and masculine nature.

Upgraded flagship model for Kia - the 2007 Kia Opirus
Kia´s fourth new model on show at Paris is its upgraded flagship model. Longer, sleeker and lighter, the five-metre long, four-door luxury sedan has a more balanced appearance, an enhanced interior with new high-tech features, and a larger, more powerful and more fuel-efficient V6 gasoline engine. Significant improvements have been made to the ride, hand-ling, safety and refinement, while Opirus now weighs less and delivers higher performance. Kia´s new E-segment model will be available in left-hand drive only, with a wider choice of interior and exterior colours. The new 2007 Kia Opirus will reach European Kia dealer showrooms during January 2007.

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Editors Notes

*Revolutionary 7-Year Warranty
In terms of Kia´s new cee´d warranty, ´Europe´ means the markets for which Kia Motors Europe is responsible -- the 25 countries of the EU, plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Gibraltar. This extended warranty will apply exclusively to Kia cee´d models.

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 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 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in seven countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia today has 32,500 employees and annual revenues of US$16 billion.

Kia is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Tennis sensation Rafael Nadal is a global brand ambassador for the Kia brand appearing in Kia´s global advertising campaigns in TV and print media over the next two years (until 2008). He will also help to promote the Kia brand at several international motor shows.

From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA - governing body of soccer´s FIFA World 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

Mr Panu Vainamo
Tel 0049 6196 5092 132
Email pvainamo@kia-europe.com

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