New Kia CeeŽd Improves Fuel Consumption and Co2 Output With Michelin Tyres

WEYBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM – August 31, 2009: Kia Motors has selected Michelin as the sole supplier of the original equipment tyres for the new cee’d range. All of the model’s 15- and 16-inch wheels will be covered by two energy efficient tyre ranges; the Michelin Energy Saver and the Michelin Primacy HP.

Introduced in 2008, the Michelin Energy Saver reduces fuel consumption thereby lowering carbon emissions by 4 g/km. Moreover, it continues to offer all of a Michelin tyre’s safety and longevity benefits.

Michelin has long worked closely with the Korean car manufacturer, and when the first Kia cee’d was launched in 2006, it was already fitted exclusively with Michelin tyres. Today, the model’s restyling has given the partnership new impetus, with the Michelin Energy Saver replacing the third-generation Michelin Energy.

The Michelin Energy Saver and Michelin Primacy HP sidewalls are marked with the ‘Green X’ label, Michelin’s signature logo indicating that they are highly fuel efficient tires. At the same time, they are capable of delivering the most powerful grip possible on wet roads and are extremely wear-resistant.

The Kia cee’d’s distinctive new tyres are therefore part of the same family that Michelin has marketed since 1992 – all recognizable by the ‘Green X’ logo. Since their launch, more than 11-billion litres of fuel have been saved and nearly 29-million tonnes of carbon emissions have been avoided worldwide thanks to these tyres.

Through the joint development of the new Michelin-equipped Kia cee’d, Michelin and Kia have demonstrated their ability to design simple, affordable solutions to make automobiles safer, more economical and more environmentally sensitive.