Kia Joins in Voluntary Commitment to Enhance Occupant Safety

Sorento, Sedona and Amanti Meet New Standards for Safety

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 4 -- In cooperation with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Kia Motors America, Inc. today pledged its support of a voluntary auto industry safety commitment to meet new performance criteria. In fact, three Kia vehicles already meet the safety criteria outlined in the agreement.

The industry safety performance initiative is designed to enhance occupant protection in front- and side-impact crashes. Participating automakers have pledged to use a wide range of occupant protection technologies and designs, as driven by this new commitment, including side airbags, airbag curtains and revised side-impact structures.

To enhance safety in front-to-side crashes, automakers will improve head protection in the side airbags to further protect passenger car and light truck occupants in side-struck vehicles. In front-to-front crashes, motor vehicle occupant safety will be enhanced through geometric matching of front structural components of vehicles by the manufacturers. Better matching of the structural components of different vehicles will help vehicles absorb crash forces and help reduce occupant fatalities.

Kia's 2004 Sorento sport utility vehicle already meets both the front-to- front and front-to-side specifications as outlined by the voluntary safety commitment. Additionally, the 2004 Kia Sedona minivan meets the front-to- front specifications and the all-new 2004 Kia Amanti large, premium sedan currently meets the front-to-side specifications.

"Kia fully supports this industry initiative and will continue to design, engineer and build vehicles that comply with the new safety performance criteria," said Peter M. Butterfield, President and CEO of KMA. "The company plans to take all necessary steps to produce vehicles that meet the new voluntary standards," he added. "Safety is a priority at Kia. Our aim is to provide safe, reliable vehicles that are affordable."

By September 1, 2007 at least 50 percent of all vehicles offered for sale in the United States and Canada by Kia and other manufacturers endorsing these new voluntary criteria will be designed to meet them. By September 2009, 100 percent of those vehicles will meet the safety criteria. Under terms of the commitment, auto manufacturers may use different technologies to satisfy the performance criteria specified by either one of two tests developed by IIHS and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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