2013 KIA OPTIMA LX NAMED THE MOST AFFORDABLE MIDSIZE SEDAN BY CARS.COM

July 31, 2013 by Ford

• Two Kia Vehicles Among Top Five of Automotive Website's Rankings

IRVINE, Calif., July 30, 2013 – Kia Motors America (KMA) has become an industry leader in design, quality, safety and value, and as further evidence of the brand's success, Cars.com has named the Kia Optima LX the most affordable midsize sedan. The ranking recognizes the most affordable mid-size sedan currently available on the market. To qualify vehicles must include the following features:

◾Automatic transmission

◾Cruise control

◾USB

◾Bluetooth® wireless technology1

◾Power windows

◾Power driver's seat

◾Backup camera2

Vehicles in the Cars.com ranking also were analyzed based on affordability of operation. When calculating the affordability of a vehicle, Cars.com adds five years of fuel costs to the price of the initial purchase.

'Providing an outstanding product with world-class design, quality, features and safety at an equally outstanding price is central to the Kia brand promise,' said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing and communications, KMA. 'The results of the Cars.com Most Affordable Midsize Sedan ranking clearly highlight Kia's commitment to providing the best value to our customers.'

Offering tremendous value wrapped in a sleek design has placed the Optima on many new-car shoppers' lists. The Optima has become KMA's best-selling model, selling 152,399 units in 2012. It has been KMA's top seller for 19 consecutive months. With year-to-date sales currently at 83,458, the Optima is on schedule to beat its own 2012 sales record.

'The Optima topped the list because of its combination of great features, low price and impressive estimated five-year fuel cost,' said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's editor-in-chief.

The Optima Hybrid followed in fifth place, and was deemed to be 'more affordable after five years than seven other non-hybrids' on the list, according toCars.com.

Kia: One of the World's Fastest Moving Global Automotive Brands

Kia Motors America is one of only three auto brands to increase U.S. sales in each of the past four years, and in 2012 the company surpassed the 500,000 unit mark for the first time. With a full line of fun-to-drive cars and CUVs, Kia is advancing value to new levels of sophistication by combining European-influenced styling – under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer – with cutting-edge technologies, premium amenities, affordable pricing and the lowest cost of ownership in the industry. Kia recently joined the exclusive ranks of Interbrand's 'Top 100 Best Global Brands,' and is poised to continue its momentum with seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2013. Over the past decade Kia Motors has invested more than $1.4 billion in the U.S., including the company's first U.S. assembly plant in West Point, Georgia – Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia – which is responsible for the creation of more than 11,000 plant and supplier jobs. The success of the U.S.-built* Optima and Sorento in two of the industry's largest segments has fueled Kia's rapid growth and is complemented by Kia's comprehensive lineup which includes the Cadenza flagship sedan, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Sportage compact CUV, Optima Hybrid, the Forte sedan, 5-door and Koup compacts, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and the Sedona minivan.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 765 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the 'Official Automotive Partner' of the NBA and LPGA. In 2012, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and gained U.S. market share for the 18th consecutive year. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visitwww.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe athttp://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is an award-winning online destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. Cars.com offers thousands of new and used vehicle listings, consumer reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and many other tools. Cars.com put millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions. Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Photo credit: Ford
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