Kia Sorento Awarded Top Ranking in 2008 AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Awards

• Kia SUV Named Best-in-Class in Midsize SUV Segment

• Midsize SUV recognized for high owner satisfaction

• Kia Motors ranks among top 10 in Mainstream Brand segment

IRVINE, CA - June 30, 2008: The 2008 Kia Sorento has been given the top ranking in the midsize SUV segment in AutoPacific, Inc.'s 2008 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA). These awards are considered quantitative gauges that measure how closely a vehicle matches to an owner's expectations. Sorento received a higher rating than the Jeep Liberty, Nissan Xterra, Dodge Nitro and HUMMER H3.

"Having Sorento recognized yet again by AutoPacific is a tremendous honor as these awards directly reflect the satisfaction of Kia owners," said Tom Loveless, vice president of sales, Kia Motors America (KMA). "We are pleased to know that Sorento's characteristics and overall appeal are recognized and appreciated by our customers."

Based on survey responses from more than 33,500 vehicle owners, the 2008 IVA measure the combination of trust, anticipation, expectations and reality within specific product segments by having respondents rate 15 attributes concerning whether they would change them after having owned their vehicle for 90 days. An "ideal vehicle" is one that meets the owner's expectations based on how few attributes they would change. Sorento received a score of 1,250 out of a possible 1,500.

Recently, the 2008 Kia Sorento also achieved a top ranking in AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA), was recognized as a "Best Bet" in the Midsize SUV category by The Car Book and received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) five-star crash safety rating in all four seating positions.

In addition to Sorento being named best-in-class in its segment, Kia Motors also ranked among the top 10 in the 2008 IVA Mainstream Brand segment, as did the 2008 Kia Spectra and Rio in the Compact Car and Economy Car segments, respectively.