Kia Motors hands over vehicle fleet for 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

MANILA, Philippines - Kia Motors, maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart, conducted a handover ceremony today at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg for the supply of a fleet of official vehicles to ensure the smooth and efficient transportation of teams, officials, delegates and official VIP visitors from all over the world during the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa^TM.

“Kia Motors is delighted to play an important part in the upcoming World Cup in South Africa,” said Soon-Nam Lee, Director of the Overseas Marketing Group, Kia Motors Corporation, who was in attendance at the handover ceremony. “Being involved actively in football marketing is an integral part of our vision to become a formidable player on the global automotive stage. We have made a strategic effort to boost our young and energetic brand identity by ramping up our presence in major sports sponsorships and to elevate Kia’s global brand awareness to the next level.”

As an “Official Automotive Partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa^TM,” Kia is supplying official vehicles from its wide-ranging model line-up to the Organizing Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa^TM. The Kia fleet is comprised of 207 vehicles that include a selection from its wide-ranging model line-up; the all-new Sorento SUV, Soul urban crossover vehicle and capacious Carnival MPV. In addition to its own vehicles, Kia is supplying a fleet of Kia-liveried buses, including national team buses, which are scheduled to provide 840 “bus days” of transportation.

A Technical Support Campaign has been developed by Kia Motors South Africa to support the fleet of vehicles. Technical Support will be offered in the form of a 24-hour roadside assistance program utilizing a toll free number and a team of dedicated technicians per host city venue.

At the handover ceremony, FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke said, “With just 21 days remaining until the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa^TM, the provision of official vehicles is the last piece of the puzzle in ensuring that this long-waited event will be the most successful World Cup in history. As a maker of stylish, comfortable and reliable vehicles, Kia Motors’ contribution in this regard will go a long way toward ensuring the safe and convenient transportation of World Cup related individuals and VIPs throughout the duration of this year’s tournament.”

The Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group has signed strategic sponsorship agreements with UEFA and FIFA that covers international competitions hosted by the associations, including EURO 2012 and 2016 as well as the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup^TM.