Kia Motors Gets The World Cup Moving

WEYBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM – May 21, 2010: Kia Motors helped to get the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ on the move today by presenting the tournament organisers with a fleet of over 200 Kia vehicles at a handover ceremony held at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. The vehicles will be used to smoothly and efficiently transport teams, officials, delegates and official VIP visitors from all over the world during the upcoming month-long tournament which begins on 11th June.

“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.”

Kia Motors, which is an Official Automotive Partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, is supplying 207 official vehicles from its wide-ranging model line-up: the new Sorento SUV, Soul urban crossover vehicle and the spacious Sedona MPV. In addition to its own vehicles, Kia is supplying a fleet of Kia-liveried buses, including the England National Team Bus, which are scheduled to provide 840 ‘bus days’ of transportation.

Commenting on the partnership, Simon Hetherington, Marketing Director, Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: “We’re passionate about sport at Kia and football allows us to reach a huge audience of like-minded people around the globe and make them aware of our brand. We’ve been involved with the FIFA World Cup since 2002 so we’re delighted to be here in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We’re looking forward to the start of the tournament on 11th June and have our fingers crossed that we’ll be taking a triumphant England team back from the Soccer City Stadium on 11th July!”

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™, 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.”

For the chance to win a trip to South Africa and see England play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ or to win a brand new Kia Soul visit www.kiafootball.co.uk