Kia Motors focuses on style and technology at Paris Show

• Electric POP concept to headline Kia’s Paris Motor Show stand
• Stunning all-new Kia Optima sedan to make European debut
• Striking Sportage compact SUV also on display
• Kia continues commitment to sustainable transport with ‘green zone’
• Press conference to take place in Hall 5.2, stand 520 at 16.30 CET

Kia’s 2010 Paris Motor Show stand will major on striking design and new technologies. Taking centre stage and making its world premiere will be the eye-catching, compact and unique electric POP concept, designed by Kia’s European design team under the direction of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer, and Gregory Guillaume, Kia Europe’s Chief Designer.

“A concept car like the POP could only have come from us,” explains Gregory Guillaume. “Designers very rarely have the opportunity to start from a clean sheet of paper and it’s great to be in a position to operate with such freedom.”

In addition to POP, Kia will also be displaying a number of striking production models which reinforce the company’s commitment to developing its design language – and putting this into practice with real-world models.

Chief among these will be an all-new D-segment contender called Kia Optima. The new model will make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show before going on sale in select European countries this year. Sales in Western Europe will commence in 2011.

Embodying what Peter Schreyer calls “a bold, athletic and visual sporting energy”, which is carried through from the exterior to the car’s involving driving dynamics, Kia Optima is expected to significantly grow Kia’s market share in the D-segment.

The stylish sedan is longer, lower, wider and has a longer wheelbase than any previous D-segment offering from Kia. It will be available in Europe with a host of high-technology features and with a choice of either a new ‘U2’ 1.7-litre VGT diesel engine (136 ps*) or an all-new technically-advanced ‘Nu’ 2.0-litre CVVL (continuously variable valve lift) gasoline engine (170 ps*).

The second of Kia’s design-led production models at Paris will be the stunning new Kia Sportage compact SUV, which has received praise from media and public alike since launch. New Sportage will soon be available with two additional engine options – both smaller capacity, fitted with fuel-stretching technology and mated exclusively to 2WD drivetrains and six-speed manual transmissions – to offer even greater efficiency.

Demonstrating Kia’s ongoing commitment to minimising its vehicles’ impact on the environment, the manufacturer’s Paris stand will also feature a number of ‘green’ models. The three environmentally-focused vehicles – Kia cee’d and Venga low emissions models, and an innovative mild hybrid Kia Sportage concept – have an average tailpipe CO2 figure of just 108 g/km and will be displayed in a distinct ‘green zone’ on the stand.

The Kia Motors stand is located in Hall 5.2, and the press conference, including the official unveiling of the new POP concept by Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, will take place at 16.30 CET.

Editors’ Notes

* Figures stated are manufacturer’s predictions.

Video footage, photograph and press materials
All-new, broadcast-standard or streaking-quality video footage (for Web use), print-quality stills and other press material relating to the 2010 Paris Motor Show are available at Kia Motors’ Multimedia Library (www.kiamotors.com) powered by the NewsMarket (www.the newsmarket.com/kiamotors). Delivery options include digital FTP transfer and streaming download in a variety of file types, including Flash, MPEG-2, QuickTime and Windows Media. Registration and content is free to media.

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 25 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.
Over 1.5 million vehicles a year are produced at 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries. These vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries.
Kia today has more than 42,000 employees and annual revenues of almost US$14.6 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the 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

Ilona Tzudnowski
PR Manager Europe
Tel.: +49 69 850 928 357
E-mail: i.tzudnowski@kia-europe.com

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 11
60486 Frankfurt, Germany