News: Kia Motors renews Davis Cup Sponsorship

News 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Michael Choo (mjc@kia.co.kr  ),
International Communications Manager, Kia Motors Corporation, Tel:
+82-2-3464-6574, Fax: +82-2-3464-6722

 

Kia Motors reaffirms commitment to world of tennis through renewal of Davis
Cup sponsorship

- Kia to serve as official worldwide sponsor and car of the Davis Cup from
2006-2008

 

(SEOUL) February 10, 2006 -- Kia Motors Corporation announced today that it
has renewed its sponsorship of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas as a worldwide
automobile partner, commencing with the First Round taking place February 10
~ 12, 2006 in 24 countries around the world. Over the past three years, the
Davis Cup/Kia Motors partnership has created tremendous synergy for both
parties by delivering the joy and excitement of the Davis Cup to tennis fans
around the world.  

 

Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors, said,
"The first phase of Kia's partnership with the ITF (International Tennis
Federation) in sponsoring the Davis Cup proved to be valuable in supporting
our rapid global expansion -- particularly into the European market -- while
imparting Kia's 'exciting and enabling' brand image among the legions of
tennis fans around the world. The renewal of our Davis Cup sponsorship can
be seen as Kia Motors' desire to get even closer to the fans by broadening
our marketing spectrum through stepped-up on-line and on-site promotional
activities."  

 

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said, "We are very pleased that Kia
Motors has decided to continue its sponsorship of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas.
They are an outstanding partner and we look forward to a long, successful
relationship with them."

 

ITF Executive Vice President Juan Margets added, "There is great harmony
between Davis Cup and Kia Motors' concept of getting closer to the fans. Our
partnership with Kia is consistent with the spirit of the Davis Cup and we
expect, with their support, to add even more fun to the Davis Cup experience
for the fans."

 

Kia Motors' renewal of the sponsorship can be viewed as a clear indication
of its strong commitment to the sport of tennis in targeting adventurous and
young-at-heart customers while becoming a respected global automotive
player. 

 

As an official worldwide sponsor and car of the Davis Cup from 2006-2008,
Kia Motors will supply more than 300 vehicles annually around the world to
support the transportation needs of the ITF and its respective member
federations.

 

Photo caption: "Kia Motors Executive Vice President Jung-Moon Park (right
center) and ITF Executive Vice President Juan Margets (left center) pose
with the Davis Cup trophy at the signing ceremony for sponsorship extension
held on February 9, 2006 in Halle, Germany." 

 

 

Kia Motors Corporation (
<http://autoway.kia.co.kr/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kiamotors.com
/> www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com <http://www.kia.com/> ) -- one of the
fastest growing automakers in the world -- was founded in 1944 and is
Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia
Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world's premier automotive
brands. Kia's 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in 7 countries
produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced
through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia
today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of over $15 billion. It
is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide
sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official
automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup. Kia
Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" -- represents
the company's global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through
continuous automotive innovation.

 

 

# # #