Kia 2007 Rio/Rio5 Earns Highest in Segment Honor in Initial Quality Study for second year running

Overall, Kia posts 11-point year-on-year improvement in IQS score

Kia improves more than any other non-premium brand over the last five years posting a 43-point improvement since 2003

SEOUL: June 7, 2007 - Kia Motors Corporation announced today that it has out performed the non-premium average for the first time in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality StudyTM (IQS), which surveys the number of problems new vehicle owners experience after 3 months of ownership. 

Kia, one of the fastest growing automakers in the world, posted an 11-point year-on-year improvement on 2006, scoring 125 points. The company has seen a consistent improvement in scores, which captures issues experienced by owners in two distinct categories - quality of design and quality of production (defects and malfunctions).  Kia has improved by 43 points since 2003, meaning it has recorded the best percentage-gap-to-average improvement of all non-premium brands on the survey over the last five years.

Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation, said, "This result reflects the consistent improvements we have made in terms of all aspects of quality over the last five years and the increasing satisfaction our customers are experiencing from driving our products.  Alongside the very positive feedback we are receiving from the recent launch of the cee'd in Europe, it encourages us to continue to improve our standards and the quality of our products."

The B-Segment 2007 Kia Rio/Rio5 ranked highest in the sub-compact segment of the Initial Quality Study. Completely redesigned in 2006, this is the second consecutive year Rio/Rio5 has received this honor.  The Rio/Rio5 was the highest-ranking model in the sub-compact segment at 102 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).

"The J.D. Power IQS awards are particularly significant since they are based directly on positive feedback from Kia owners," said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of Kia Motors America.  "Fresh on the heels of the Strategic Vision Total Quality Index™ honors, this honor further demonstrates the strength of the full Kia line-up."

The J.D. Power annual report measures 228 vehicle attributes across eight categories, including the driving experience, engine and transmission, and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners. 

For 2007, the Rio and Rio5 model lineup, which includes three trim levels for the four-door sedan - Base, LX and SX - and the Rio5 SX five-door, continues to offer the same combination of engine performance and fuel economy as the 2006 model.  Rio and Rio5 also offer one of the largest interior volumes in their class, as well as six standard airbags, including full-length side-curtain airbags. 

-Ends-

Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com) -- one of the fastest growing automakers in the world -- 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 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in 9 countries produce more than 1.3 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has over 33,000 employees and annual revenues of almost $19 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be 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.

For further information please contact:
Ahmed Al Hassani
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TRACCS - KSA
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Email: ahmed.alhassani@traccs.net

© Press Release 2007