[KIA MOTORS NEWS] Kia accelerates European market expansion through UEFA EUROTOP 2010-2017 sponsorship

NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Michael Choo (  mjc@kia.co.kr),
International Communications Manager, Kia Motors Corporation, Tel:
+82-2-3464-5663

Kia accelerates European market expansion through UEFA EUROTOP 2010-2017
sponsorship

 

-         UEFA EUROTOP partnership will strengthen Kia's brand image with
the world's most popular sport

-         Kia continues its commitment to athleticism through its latest
sports marketing sponsorship

-         A sponsor of UEFA's flagship national team competitions until 2017
as the official EUROTOP Sponsor of UEFA

 

(SEOUL) February 27, 2010 - Kia Motors Corporation will serve as the
official sponsor of the UEFA EURO 2012T and UEFA EURO 2016T.  

 

"As the official EUROTOP Sponsor of UEFA, Kia will make the utmost efforts
towards the success of UEFA professional national team events until 2017,"
said Mong-Koo Chung, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group Chairman, before the
signing ceremony. "Our commitment and support of UEFA will help raise
awareness of the Kia brand and fortify our position as a global company."

 

A strategic sponsorship agreement with UEFA was signed today by Hyoung-Keun
Lee, Kia Motors Corporation President, and Michel Platini, President of
UEFA, Union of European Football Associations, at the company's headquarters
in Seoul, extending the company's sponsorship to cover the 2012 and 2016
UEFA European Football Championship.

 

"We are truly happy to extend the sponsorship agreement with the Hyundai-Kia
Automotive Group, one of the world's most promising companies. We will
closely cooperate with Kia's efforts to advance its presence through
football sponsorship," added Platini.

 

The UEFA European Football Championship final tournament, the most
prestigious football competition in Europe, is held every four years,
featuring 16 countries drawn into four groups of four teams.  Poland and
Ukraine were selected to co-host the UEFA Euro 2012T competition. 

 

The UEFA EURO 2016T final tournament will feature 24 countries, up from the
16 nations at UEFA EURO 2012T.  France, Italy and Turkey have submitted
their bids to host the UEFA EURO 2016T.

 

Kia began its official sponsorship of FIFA in 2007, for the FIFA 2010 World
CupT.  For UEFA EURO 2008T, Kia was one of UEFA's EUROTOP Partners and
today's ceremony further continues its reign as one of the most visible
brands in football, the world's most popular sport.

 

Under the agreement signed today, Kia Motors will enjoy main sponsorship
rights for all UEFA EURO events, including the rights to use logos, emblems
as well as signage display in the stadiums. Kia will also provide vehicles
from its exciting young-at-heart line-up to be used during the tournament.

 

With an estimated audience of 750 million people in Europe alone and the
competition attracting a worldwide audience, the benefits of Kia's EUROTOP
partnership with UEFA are tremendous. 

 

The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship was shown in a total of 200
countries, with accumulated viewers reaching approximately 6.6 billion
people. Visitors to the football stadium numbered over one million. 

 

As a result of its sponsorship of the UEFA EURO championships and the FIFA
2010 World Cup South AfricaT and FIFA 2014 World Cup BrazilT, Kia is firmly
on track to meeting its goals of raising its brand awareness among core
consumers who are young-at-heart.  Kia will continue its wide variety of
marketing programs leading up to the FIFA 2010 World Cup South AfricaT.

 

###

 

Photo caption: (left to right) Steve S. Yang, President and CEO of Hyundai
Motor Company, Michel Platini, President of UEFA, Union of European Football
Associations, and Hyoung-Keun Lee, President of Kia Motors Corporation.

 

Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) <http://www.kia.com)/>  -- a maker of
quality vehicles for the young-at-heart -- 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. Over 1.5 million vehicles a year are produced in 13 manufacturing
and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced
through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. Kia
today has over 42,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over
US$14.6 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an
official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World
CupT. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" --
represents the company's global commitment to surpassing customer
expectations through continuous automotive innovation.