KIA RACING ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR TWO TURBOCHARGED OPTIMAS TO COMPETE IN THE 2012 PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

KIA RACING ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR TWO TURBOCHARGED OPTIMAS TO COMPETE IN THE 2012 PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Championship-Winning Motorsports Program Expanding to New Series in Third-Year

2012 Kia Optima Hybrid

• Kia and Kinetic Motorsports continue partnership to build and campaign two Optima SXs in World Challenge
• Additional motorsports activities for 2012 include B-Spec racing with the all-new 2012 Rio 5-door and Optima Hybrid serving as the official pace car at United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) events

LOS ANGELES, November 16, 2011 – It took the Kia Racing program just two seasons and 20 starts to capture Kia Motors America’s (KMA) first-ever championships in the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, and today at the Los Angeles Auto Show the company announced a major motorsports expansion for 2012 with two turbocharged Optimas set to enter the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. Continuing KMA’s successful partnership with Kinetic Motorsports, the World Challenge Optima SXs will compete in the Grand Touring Sport (GTS) class alongside established nameplates such as Mustang and Camaro at world-class race tracks across North America, including Road Atlanta, the street circuit in Long Beach, Calif., and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

“As a brand with no previous racing experience in America, for Kia to win two motorsports championships in just its second year is an incredible accomplishment, and expanding our motorsports footprint with the turbocharged Optima entering World Challenge will continue to build passion and enthusiasm for the brand with an entirely new fan base at different race tracks across the country,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “With its aerodynamic styling and outstanding driving dynamics, the Optima SX should be well suited to the ultra-competitive environment of World Challenge racing.”

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, World Challenge features world-class drivers and race-prepped versions of production vehicles from many of the world’s most popular manufacturers. The Kia Optimas will be the first Korean vehicles to compete in the series – which includes a suspenseful standing start rather than the more common rolling start – and is known for exciting door-to-door action throughout the 50-minute sprint races. For 2012, World Challenge races will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network.

Maintaining continuity in the Kia Racing program’s third-year, Kinetic Motorsports will build, develop and campaign the two Optima World Challenge cars while continuing Kia’s Forte Koup efforts in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Drivers for both programs will be announced in the near future.

The Optima is not the only Kia vehicle being summoned for race track duty in 2012. At the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Kia announced that the all-new Rio 5-door will compete in the newly created B-Spec showroom stock series, while a tricked-out Optima Hybrid will serve as the USTCC’s official safety car beginning in March 2012.

Race fans can follow Kia’s motorsports program, including the development of the Optima race cars, and receive live updates from the track at www.facebook.com/kiaracing.

Design-Led Transformation and Product Line
Kia Motors has undergone a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to the brand’s continued gains in U.S. market share. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and brand growth through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technology. Kia’s commitment to the U.S. market is represented by its U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia – KMMG – which is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and added the critically-acclaimed Optima midsize sedan¹ to its production line in September. Kia’s model year 2012 vehicle line includes the Sorento CUV, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, all-new Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 745 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA.” In 2010, KMA recorded its best-ever U.S. sales and 16th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle lineup is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

2012 Kia “Best Buys”

Kia has built up a solid reputation of producing quality, fuel efficient vehicles at an affordable price, and while it’s one thing for them to talk about it in their ads and press releases, it’s quite another to have that hard work and dedication recognized by a trusted, reliable source.

That recognition came this week in the form of 4 Kia vehicles being voted “Best Buys” by Consumer’s Digest, a leading consumer resource for automotive reviews. The cars which were given the honor were the 2012 versions of the Optima, Soul, Sorento and Sportage, and the news completed a great October for Kia, who once again managed to set another sales record, which now makes 14 consecutive months of upward sales trends.

Kia Motors America vice president of marketing and communications Michael Sprague expressed the company’s delight with the showing in the magazine, stating that the recognition proves that awareness of the company brand, and their commitment to quality, is very much on the rise.

In order to come up with “Best Buy” tag, Consumers Digest takes into account a number of important factors, which usually boil down to purchase price and ownership costs, comfort, performance and utility.

There was much to admire in all 4 of the recognized vehicles, but there were some definite things in each that set them apart from the other cars in their class.

The 2012 Kia Optima is loaded with high tech features such as an Infinity audio system, HD radio and the Microsoft powered UVO infotainment system. Combine that with fantastic fuel efficiency and a huge list of safety features, all for a starting price of $19.500, and it’s easy to see why it made the list.

The Sorento CUV has all the same technological features as the Optima, and also has an interior that is on a par with a luxury vehicle valued at twice the price of the Sorento’s $21.250 starting price tag.

The funky Kia Soul crossover has taken the performance of its class up a notch with new 1,6L GDI engine and increased horsepower, yet still 35 MPG highway, and all for an incredibly low $13.900 MSRP.

The 2012 Sportage is a perfect mixture of power, style and sleek design, and still manages to provide that remarkable fuel efficiency that has become the staple of every Kia vehicle. It also boasts the cool technological upgrades and industry leading safety features, yet still manages to come in at a mere $18.500 starting price.

As great as the “Best Buy” accolades are, it would seem that Consumers Digest are simply stating the obvious, because if you look at the sales increases for the past 14 months, it’s pretty obvious that the average car buyer knew a best buy when they saw it.

Kia Optima beats Honda Accord

Consider it a knockout performance: In a recent head-to-head battle between two mainstream middleweights, conducted by the team of experts at Consumer Reports, the all-new Kia Optima took on—and then took down—the Honda Accord.

Kia Optima

According to CR, the Kia won the day based on its performance in five key areas:

• Handling—Riding on an all-new, stiffer platform, the Optima boasts independent front and rear suspensions, with
• MacPherson struts at the fore and a multi-link setup aft, along with coil springs and a front anti-roll bar.
• Transmission—All Optimas (except the four-cylinder LX entry model) leverage Kia’s proprietary six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic clutchless shifting.
• Controls—Ergonomically designed seating and switchgear combine to give drivers simple, easy-to-access control over the Optima’s vehicle systems.
• Fuel economy—The Optima posts an EPA line of up to 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway/28 combined, and even the high-performance Optima turbo, with 274 hp under the hood, can reach 22 mpg city/34 mpg highway.
• Safety—Packed with standard safety features, the Optima is both a Top Safety Pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the first Korean-built car to earn a five-star overall crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The CR kudos are just the latest for the stylish new Optima, which also has been named one of the “Top 10 Cars to Look Forward to in 2011” by Carsdirect.com, “Best New Model” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, among the “Best of 2011” by Cars.com, a member of the “Edmunds InsideLine.com Editor’s Most Wanted” list, a Consumer Guide Automotive “Best Buy,” and part of the Ward’s “10 Best Interiors” rankings.

The award-winning 2011 Kia Optima is on sale now.