Kia Amanti (Opirus) receives Strategic Vision total value award

(SEOUL) October 12, 2005 -- Kia Motors Corporation announced that for the second time in less than a month, new vehicle owners have expressed their extreme satisfaction with the 2005 Kia Amanti (Opirus) as the premium sedan, which earned top honors in the large car category in Strategic Vision's 2005 Total Value Index (TVI). Strategic Vision, a research firm based in San Diego, correlates and calculates various economic issues with the overall quality of the ownership experience.

Strategic Vision surveyed new car buyers who purchased their vehicle between October 2004 and March 2005 and had owned them at least 90 days before they were surveyed. The TVI is calculated by assessing the immediate economic issues of ownership (price, affordability, deal offered, warranty and standard equipment) and the vehicles anticipated value (durability, future trade-in, mileage and reliability). The scores are then considered against measures of the total perceived ownership experience.

The Strategic Vision Award follows the recent announcement by J.D. Power and Associates that the Amanti received the highest score from new car buyers in the premium midsize car category in the company’s 2005 APEAL Study.

According to Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation, “The Amanti (Opirus) is regarded as a premium luxury sedan in the Korean domestic market and selling very well in other key markets like the United States, and it is gratifying to gain positive recognition for this vehicle in important International customer surveys, such as the one by Strategic Vision.”

He added, “The Amanti is one of the best examples of Kia’s ability to develop stylish, high quality vehicles with great comfort and convenience at an incredible value to the consumer, and we at Kia Motors are very proud of the latest Total Value Award by Strategic Vision”.