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Photographs of ED (code name) revealed at British International Motor Show
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Five-door hatchback model to challenge for C-segment class honors
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New model to make its world premiere at Paris Motor Show in September
Kia Motors Corporation issued the first official photographs of its all-new family car -- code named ‘ED’ -- at the British International Motor Show in London on July 18. Created especially for European consumers, the new model will be Kia’s strongest-ever contender for C-segment honors when it goes on sale across Europe in December 2006 -- a genuine challenger to the established class leaders.
The 4.2-meter long ED has an unusually long wheelbase (2,650 mm) and will offer class-leading interior space, plus highly competitive levels of equipment and state-of-the-art active and passive safety. From launch, a range of four engines will be available, including 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-liter CVVT gasoline engines and a 1.6-liter VGT diesel engine.
“Our new C-segment model is code named ‘ED’ because it is a European design created with European consumers in mind,” explained Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. “Our ED production model’s styling highlights that this car is a truly European design (tailored to the C-Segment which is uniquely important in Europe), a car designed in Europe, made in Europe, to fulfill 100% of European customer needs.”
With its ‘tough not rough’ appearance, combining strongly solid forms with sensitively flowing lines, jewel-like detailing and a broad stance, ED points towards the future elements of Kia’s evolving design language -- like Kia’s cee’d concept car shown at Geneva earlier this year and at the British Show.
Kia’s latest C-segment model, the ED will be produced at Kia’s first-ever European manufacturing facility at Zilina in Slovakia. It will be marketed exclusively in Europe and the five-door launch models will be joined by a range of station wagons and sporty three-door hatchback models from September and December 2007, respectively.
The all-new Kia five-door family hatchback will make its world premiere at the Mondial de L’Automobile in Paris, France, on 28 September 2006, when its name will be revealed.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com) -- one of the fastest growing automakers in the world -- 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. Kia’s 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in 7 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of almost $16 billion . It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan -- “The Power to Surprise” -- represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.
