SEOUL November 22 2002 -Kia Motors used this year`s Seoul Motor Show to display its fully updated range of passenger vehicles alongside a range of technologies for the future. Principle attractions were the KCV-I and KCV-II, which made their global debuts at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show and the 2002 Paris Motors Show, respectively.
In his opening address to the Show, Kia Motors President Noi-myung Kim said, "With its solid financial foundation, Kia Motors, along with Hyundai Motor Company, aims to become a global top 5 automaker by the year 2010. To reach this goal, we will focus on globalizing our production capacity and sales network and raising brand recognition and awareness, as a part of our business strategy to seek both quantitative and qualitative growth."
Vehicles on display included the explosively popular Sorento SUV and the newest versions of the Optima / Magentis, Rio and Carens mini-MPV. Other attractions included the sumptuously apportioned Carnival Limousine, a luxury version of Kia`s award-winning MPV, that includes full leather upholstery, a roof mounted TV monitor attached to a DVD player, reclining rear seats with leg rests, folding office-style tables and a wine cooler.
The stars of the show were the two concept cars. The KVC-I multipurpose concept car is based on the Carens platform. Designed at the Sohari plant in Korea, the vehicle features exterior cameras and a head-up display projected onto the windscreen. The KCV-II is a sports utility vehicle developed in 2002 year at Kia`s European Design center in Eschborn, Germany. The KCV-II combines the features of an SUV a pick-up and a Coupe and includes refinements including sporty butterfly-style doors, advanced safety features and night-vision technology.
Founded in 1944, Kia Motors Corporation is Korea`s oldest manufacturer of automobiles. A part of the Hyundai Automobile Group, the company currently exports around 600,000 vehicles per year through a network of distributors that covers 160 countries. Kia Motors is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open.
