Kia Rio & Rondo vehicles recommended by 2010

Kia Rio & Rondo vehicles recommended by 2010 Consumer Guide(r) & About.com
- Rio selected by Consumer Guide for fuel economy, user-friendly instruments and driver controls - Crossover utility vehicle, Rondo, honored by respected online resource About.com and Consumer Guide Automotive for its quality, budget-friendliness and space (Seoul) January 28, 2010 - Kia Motors America (KMA) announced its popular subcompact and midsize CUVs, Kia Rio and Rondo (known as 'Carens' in some markets), have been selected as 2010 Consumer Guide Automotive Recommended Vehicles for the vehicle's offerings of quality, comfort, function and value. The announcement comes on the heels of Kia Rondo being named to the 'Best Family Cars Under $20,000' list with About.com, a respected online resource for US consumers. "Receiving the 2010 Consumer Guide Automotive Recommended Vehicle designation is a tribute to the ongoing evolution and continued improvement of the Kia brand," said Michael Sprague, Vice President, Marketing, KMA. "This distinction from such a trusted automotive resource reinforces to consumers our commitment to providing the highest quality vehicles infused with great design, value, safety features, utility and practicality." Consumer Guide Automotive editors reviewed and selected the top vehicles across 18 vehicle categories, including Subcompact Car, Compact Car, Midsize Car, Premium Midsize Car, Large Car, Premium Large Car, Sporty/Performance Car, Compact SUV, Midsize SUV, Large SUV, Premium Large SUV, Minivan, among others. For more than 40 years Consumer Guide has been empowering buyers to shop with confidence and receives 2.6 million unique visitors each month. About.com reviewed and selected a number of 2009 and 2010 model year vehicles, finally selecting the top 10 cars they felt best offered families an exceptional combination of value, comfort and seating for under $20,000. "In today's economy, consumers are constantly looking for ways to save money while retaining quality, and Rondo offers the functionality and safety of a minivan or SUV without the heft, low fuel economy or high price tag," said Sprague. The Rio line is often noted for its small footprint, spacious interior, exciting handling and impressive fuel economy. In line with Kia's dramatic, design-led transformation, Rio offers style flexibility for the fun and frugal. Its full body-color bumpers, a revised tabbed grille that matches the new look of Kia, black bezel headlamps, body-color side moldings and a stylish exposed exhaust outlet further add to its sprightly appearance. Rondo offers consumers numerous amenities, capable handling and impressive standard convenience and safety features while maintaining a good starting price. The midsize CUV includes space for seven passengers with three rows of seating, offering the same variety of seating arrangements as a full-size SUV or minivan without the bulk or low fuel economy. ### Kia Motors Corporation -- 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. Nearly 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 40,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$14.5 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup(tm) -- as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" -- represents the company's global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.