Kia Rio Named Most Improved New Car for 2006 by Autobytel

Editors' Choice Award Given to Best Combination of Value, Quality, Design, and Performance on the Market

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 19 -- The 2006 Kia Rio today received the Autobytel "Editors' Choice Award for Most Improved New Car." Each year Autobytel Inc., one of the most visited automotive properties on the Internet, announces its "Editors' Choice Awards" presented to vehicle models that offer the best combination of value, quality, design, and performance on the market, according to the editors and automotive analysts of the company's popular websites autobytel.com, autoweb.com, car.com, carsmart.com, autosite.com and autohorros.com. Award categories are designed to help car buyers identify the top vehicle options based on a range of buying priorities -- from fuel-efficiency and family driving, to affordability, style, and just plain fun.

"Rio is a magnificent subcompact class-leading car with attractive styling and performance wrapped in a smart yet extremely affordable package," said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of Kia Motors America. "We're pleased that Autobytel, the press and the entire automotive community are recognizing the Kia Rio for all it offers consumers."

Offering more standard safety features, passenger space and horsepower than the competition, the 2006 Rio and Rio5 have raised the bar in the subcompact segment. New from the ground up, the Rio and Rio5's longer wheelbase and increased width and height contribute to a best-in-class 92.2 cubic feet of passenger room, while a wider track and more horsepower yield better handling, a smoother ride and improved performance.

The Kia Rio is available in three variations, Base, LX and Rio5 SX five-door. The Base model begins at $11,110 with destination, and the SX five-door starts at $14,040.

With over 50 years of combined automotive analysis experience, the Autobytel awards panel lives and breathes cars -- providing consumers with in-depth specification information, hands-on test drives and reviews of every new model that hits the market. The Autobytel Editors' Choice Awards provide consumers with a listing of the vehicles that these veteran automotive experts most strongly recommend for real-world car buyers and the models they would recommend personally for their family, friends and colleagues.

America 's Leading Warranty

Like all of Kia's vehicles, the 2006 Rio and Rio5 are covered by Kia's comprehensive 5-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty, 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, and five years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance.

Kia Motors America is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea. For more information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com