Three premieres for Kia at Geneva Motor Show

Frankfurt / Seoul – March 1st, 2011 – Kia is celebrating a ‘landmark year’ in its history by holding the premieres of three new models at the 81st Salon International de l’Auto in Geneva today (Tuesday). The all-new Kia Rio compact car is making its debut on the world stage in Switzerland. The all-new Kia Picanto small car is appearing outside Korea for the first time. And the new Kia Optima Hybrid is being shown for the first time to a European audience.

“Kia’s uniquely powerful presence at Geneva will embody three premieres and highlight our brand’s design-led revolution, world-class engineering and advanced hybrid technologies,” commented Hyoung-Keun Lee, Vice Chairman, Kia Motors Corporation. “In Europe and around the world, the small and compact car markets account for a huge percentage of global sales, so the introduction of new Picanto and new Rio is immensely significant for Kia in what I am sure will be a ‘landmark year’ for our brand.”

Kia’s fourth-generation Rio is a revolution, not an evolution of its predecessor. It boasts a bold and distinctive personality, combining European finesse with Korean spice to create a form language that also communicates Latin flair, for a truly global appeal.

New Rio will deliver low running costs and class-leading CO2 emissions – with target figures for the model range starting at just 85 g/km. Together with fuel consumption from only 3.2 litres / 100 km Rio will be the cleanest non-electric car in Europe.

The all-new Kia Picanto is now a small car, grown up. It has been redesigned and re-engineered with stand-out styling that conveys a sense of solidity and maturity. Longer than the previous model, and with an extended wheelbase, new Picanto will be offered for the first time with a choice of 5-door and 3-door body styles, it is set to become one of the most competitive vehicles in the global ‘city car’ A-segment.

The character of 3.6-metre long new Picanto has been transformed from ‘cute’ and ‘friendly’ into mature and handsome, designed to turn heads on the street, thanks to its good looking, sexy proportions and dynamic design language. Picanto in its newest form exudes a bold self confidence which is unique in its segment.

Following its world premiere in the US, Kia is exhibiting its all-new Optima Hybrid sedan in front of a European audience for the first time. Scheduled to begin mass production in the first half of 2011, the striking sedan pioneers new technologies which are destined to appear in future Kia production models.

Also being displayed on Kia’s stand is an all-new 1.0-litre version of Kia’s popular ‘Kappa’ gasoline engine, which promises an appealing blend of performance and economy. The innovative 998 cc engine is Kia’s first three-cylinder unit fitted with a turbocharger, and delivers impressive performance for its capacity (110 ps), while retaining the key fuel economy benefits of a small displacement engine.

Editors’ Notes

Video footage, photography and press materials