National Press Release

Sub-Compact Sedan Makes Environmentally Friendly List

- Low emissions and fuel efficiency boost the Kia sub-compact's score

- Only most ecological vehicles top annual list

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced that the 2009 Rio sub-compact sedan has been named as one of the "Greenest Vehicles of 2009" by the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Rio was chosen for its low-level emissions and impressive fuel economy.

"Today more than ever consumers are looking for vehicles that are not only fuel efficient but ecologically friendly," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. "Rio demonstrates that being green and offering impressive fuel economy does not mean that value and quality need to be compromised."

According to the ACEEE, the "Greenest Vehicles of 2009" list includes the most environmentally friendly vehicles available to consumers during the 2009 model year, and only the top-scoring configuration of each vehicle is included in the list. A full list can be found at www.GreenerCars.org.

Available in base, LX and SX trims, all vehicles in the Rio lineup feature a 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder CVVT engine, which produces a peppy110 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. When equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission - available for LX and SX trims - Rio and Rio5 are capable of 27/33 (city/highway) mpg.

The Rio line also offers an extensive list of standard safety technology, including: dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, side-impact door beams, an impact absorbing steering column, front and rear crumple zones, front and rear three-point seatbelts, front seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, Lower Anchors & Tethers for Children (LATCH), and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). A four-sensor, four-channel antilock brake system (ABS) is an available option on LX and SX models.

2009 Product Line

Kia Motors America offers a dynamic and diverse product line of 11 vehicles to meet the needs of all lifestyles. The 2009 vehicle line features the functional Rondo CUV and award-winning Sedona minivan along with a wide variety of popular passenger cars, including the refined Amanti full-size sedan, purposeful Optima midsize sedan, versatile and compact Spectra and Spectra5, and sporty yet fuel efficient Rio and Rio5 subcompacts. The vehicle line also features the affordably luxurious Borrego, rugged Sorento and value-packed Sportage SUVs. The 2010 Soul will further complement the lineup when it arrives in dealerships this spring.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2008, KMA recorded its 14th 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.

SOURCE Kia Motors America