Choice of 1.6-litre engines for new Kia Soul in Europe

• New Kia Soul to feature 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines
• Kia Soul production model will appeal to the ´young-at-heart´
• World premiere of new Kia Soul to be held at Paris Show on 2 October

Kia Motors Corporation has confirmed that its all-new production model, the Kia Soul, will be marketed in Europe with a choice of two highly efficient 1.6-litre engines when it goes on sale in February 2009.

Both the four cylinder petrol and diesel powerunits are based closely on the 16-valve DOHC engines fitted to the hugely successful, European-built, Kia cee´d.

Kia has also confirmed that the new Soul model, which will be available exclusively as a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, will have an overall length of 4,105 mm, and a 2,550 mm wheelbase. Height will be 1,610 mm and width 1,785mm - excluding door
mirrors.

Looking ahead to the British International Motor Show which opens next week, Peter Schreyer, Kia´s Chief Design Officer, commented, "Reaction from the media and public to the three SOUL concept cars first unveiled at the Geneva Show in March and soon to be shown in London, has been overwhelmingly positive.

"The SOUL concept cars are so closely related to the new Kia Soul production car, that everyone can see this new model will defy conventions and appeal especially to the young and young-at-heart - whatever their age," added Schreyer.

The three concept cars to be displayed in London - SOUL Burner, SOUL Diva and SOUL Searcher - were created by Kia´s European design team, led by Gregory Guillaume, under the guidance of Peter Schreyer. They were developed from the original SOUL concept car designed jointly by Kia´s California and Korea design studios and unveiled in 2006 at the Detroit Motor Show.

Anticipating the World Premiere of the Kia Soul production model on 2 October at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Gregory Guillaume observed, "Because the all-new Kia Soul is not a replacement for an existing vehicle and is destined to play a unique role within the Kia global product line-up, it can be a bit of a rebel! The Kia Soul defies classification, and its design will encourage customers to form an emotional bond with this exciting new car."

To be manufactured in Korea from November 2008, the Kia Soul will provide a creative platform for buyers to individualise and match their car to their own personality. In the USA and several non-European markets, a third engine - a 2-litre gasoline unit - will also be available.
- Ends -

Editors´ Notes

Kia BUZZ
Please visit the official Kia blog website at ´www.kia-buzz.com´ for high resolution versions of the attached images as well as other images of the new Kia Soul with exclusive backgrounds.

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 32 markets in Europe.

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) - a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart - 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. More than 1.4 million vehicles a year are produced at 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries. These vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has more than 40,000 employees and annual revenues of almost US$17 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Kia is an official automotive partner of FIFA - the governing body of the FIFA World Cup - as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA. 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 +49 69 850 928 352 Email pvainamo@kia-europe.com

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 11, 60486 Frankfurt, Germany.
Tel +49 69 850 928 352 Fax +49 69 850 928 399