New Kia Soul production model will retain concept´s name

• New Kia Soul production model will appeal to the ´young-at-heart´
• World premiere of new Kia Soul to be held at Paris Show in October
• Kia Soul will offer a ´world of possibilities´ for personal expression

Kia Motors Corporation has confirmed that its all-new production model will retain the spirit and name of the SOUL concept cars shown earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show and the first SOUL concept car which debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

As well as confirming the name, Kia has released the first official photograph of the production car, which will be called the ´Kia Soul´.

“Reaction from the media and public to the three SOUL concept cars first unveiled at the Geneva Show in March and shown subsequently at other international events, has been overwhelmingly positive,” enthused Mr Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, International Business Division, Kia Motors Corporation. “This reaction, plus the fact that both physically and emotionally, the SOUL concept cars are so closely related to the new Kia Soul production car, made it a natural choice to retain this evocative name.”

“The SOUL concept cars reveal a whole new ´fun´ side to Kia. They signal that our new Kia Soul production model is poised to defy conventions and offer buyers a ´world of possibilities´ for expressing their personality. This new model will reach out to new groups of consumers, appealing especially to the young and young-at-heart — whatever their age,” added Mr Lee.

The three concept cars — SOUL Burner, SOUL Diva and SOUL Searcher — were created by Kia´s European design team led by Gregory Guillaume, under the guidance of Kia´s Chief Design Officer, 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 Detroit.

Speaking about the choice of name for the original 2006 Detroit concept car, Tom Kearns, chief designer of Kia Motors America commented, “We wanted to inject some life into this car´s design, to give it a soul. And the word ´Soul´ is a homophone for the home city of Kia Motors headquarters, in Korea, so it is a fun play on words.”

Kia´s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, strongly endorsed that name choice at the Geneva Show earlier this year, commenting, “The name SOUL accurately reflects how people will be able to ´express their spirit — their psyche´ with this new product. Through a variety of options, accessories and colours, they will be able to personalise their Kia Soul and create a sense of individuality, making their new car a true reflection of their personality.”

Looking ahead to the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Gregory Guillaume observed, “Because the new Kia Soul is not a replacement for an existing vehicle and is destined to play a unique role within the Kia global line-up, it can be a bit of a rebel! The trio of Geneva concepts were ´appetisers´ for the new model introduction at Paris, and you can be certain that the new Kia Soul model will retain the core DNA of the three exciting concepts.”

The all-new Kia Soul defies classification, and its design will encourage customers to build an emotional bond with this rebellious new car. To be made in Korea from September 2008, Kia Soul will provide a creative platform for buyers to individualise and match their car to their own personality.

The new Kia Soul production car will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in early October 2008.

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Editors´ Notes

Kia Soul Photos
For high resolution versions of the attached image and images of the Kia Soul production model in other colours, please visit the official Kia blog website at ´www.kia-buzz.com´

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.

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.kiamotors.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 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 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