Kia Motors America Passes 100,000th Sorento Mark

KIA MOTORS AMERICA PASSES 100,000TH SORENTO MARK

Kia’s First U.S.-Built* and Best-Selling Vehicle Reaches Historic Milestone


IRVINE, Calif., December 10, 2010 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today celebrated the sale of its 100,000th Sorento CUV, the brand’s first U.S.-built vehicle from Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) in West Point, Georgia. Since going on sale, Sorento has been Kia’s best-selling vehicle for eleven consecutive months and is the first Kia vehicle to eclipse the 100,000 unit mark in the U.S. in one year.

“Selling 100,000 Sorentos over an 11-month period is an extraordinary achievement for not only the Kia brand, but our first U.S. plant as well, “said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and KMMG. “This impressive sales milestone demonstrates Kia’s growing brand impact in the U.S., which is a direct result of our ongoing design-led transformation which has delivered a growing stable of new generation Kia vehicles, highlighted by our best-selling Sorento, and will continue into the future with the arrival of several more exciting, stylish and fun to drive products.”

The 2011 Sorento encompasses both the brand’s signature design cues as well as its distinct combination of value, safety and style, offering consumers a well-equipped, well-appointed CUV with impressive horsepower suited perfectly for the fun, dynamic and discerning driver. Shortly after its debut, Sorento received a 2010 “Top Safety Pick” award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)1.

Kia’s model year 2011 vehicle line includes the Sorento CUV, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio sub-compact sedan, Rio5 sub-compact hatchback 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 725 dealers throughout the United States. For 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline “The Power to Surprise.”

Kia Motors America is the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA.” Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

1 For Sorentos built after March 2009.
*Kia vehicles assembled at the Kia U.S. plant are assembled from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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