Kia Comes to Upstate New York
15 January 1998
Kia Expands Its New York State Of Mind; Kia Comes to Upstate New YorkIRVINE, Calif., Jan. 15 -- Kia concludes its Empire State launch this month as 12 dealerships in upstate New York are scheduled to be selling Kias by the end of January. These dealership openings are part of Kia's planned expansion across America: with the additional New York dealers, Kia vehicles now are on sale at more than 330 dealerships in 32 states. Kia currently sells two vehicles -- the Sephia (pronounced Seh-FEE-uh) compact sedan and the Sportage (SPORT-ij) sport-utility vehicle, with the Sportage 2-Door Convertible due out in Spring 1998. "Upstate New York is a perfect market for our vehicles," explained Greg Warner, Kia's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "What we offer is reliable, affordable transportation that New Yorkers want. The Sephia has more standard equipment than many competitors, yet its starting price begins well below that of other compact sedans. Our Sportage is a fun alternative to sedans and turns heads wherever it goes." Kia began business in the United States in August 1993 when it put 2,000 Sephias in service with Budget Rent-A-Car. Using a market-by-market strategy championed by Warner, Kia started in the West and Southwest in 1994. Kia dealers are now prominent on the East Coast, and the company plans to continue its launch into New England and the Midwest in the next few months. By the end of 1998, Kia plans to have about 500 dealerships in the 48 contiguous states. "We only choose dealerships that demonstrate a commitment to maintaining customer satisfaction. Our mission is to provide affordable, value-laden vehicles, but our goal is to serve our customers," Warner said. "We want dealers who are able to put the customer first." Kia's customer-driven philosophy is backed by dependable, reliable vehicles that have completed real-world testing with flying colors. The Sephia, which stood up well to the abuses of rental car drivers, pizza delivery guys and driving school students, is an affordably priced, well- equipped compact sedan with a manufacturer's suggested retail price beginning at $9,995. The 1998 model features a powerful 1.8-liter, 16-valve, dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine and dual airbags. The Sportage was the recipient of a 1997 "Best Overall Value of the Year" award from IntelliChoice, Inc., an independent consumer research firm. The Sportage also was named the best buy among Compact sport-utility vehicles according to the "Men's Journal" 1997 Buyer's Guide and was named one of "Four Wheeler" magazine's top 10 best buys for 1996 and 1997. "Popular Science" voted the Sportage the "Best of What's New" in 1995. The Sportage is a rugged sport-utility vehicle designed with passenger comfort in mind. Able to support an active lifestyle, the Sportage has a 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC engine and a driver-side airbag system, which features the world's first knee airbag. The Sportage is available in 4x4 and 4x2 models. Prices for the 1998 Sportage begin at $14,895. To support its customer first philosophy, Kia has established several policies that set it apart from other manufacturers. All Kia Sephias come with very competitive warranties: a three-year/36,000-mile basic limited vehicle warranty and five-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain coverage. All owners are covered by Kia Extra-Mile Care, a program that includes 24-hour roadside assistance, for the term of the basic limited warranty. Kia will contact customers no less than seven times during the first two years of ownership, including surveys following the initial purchase and first service to make sure they're happy with the service they received. Kia Motors America is the U.S. sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp., in Seoul, South Korea. UPSTATE NEW YORK DEALERSHIPS DePaula Kia Roger Burdick Kia 781 Central Avenue 3724 Brewerton Road Albany, NY 12206 North Syracuse, NY 13212 Anthony DePaula Roger Burdick 518/489-5551 315/455-7051 Northtown Kia Garvey Kia 1135 Millersport Highway 714 Quaker Road Amherst, NY 14226 Queensbury, NY 12804 Lawrence Schreiber J. Peter Garvey III 716/833-1300 518/793-3488 Morris Kia Dorschel Kia 872 Saratoga Road - Route 50 3399 W. Henrietta Road Burnt Hills, NY 12027 Rochester, NY 14623 Terrence L. Morris Richard J. Dorschel 518/399-9188 716/334-9440 Doan Kia Cooper Kia 1177 Fairport Road 5839 Rome-Taberg Road Fairport, NY 14450 Rome, NY 13442 Ray Helfrich David Cooper 716/385-2090 315/336-6660 Van Brunt Kia Feduke Kia 3087 Lake Road 2200 Vestal Parkway East Horseheads, NY 14845 Vestal, NY 13850 Michael M. Van Brunt John D. Feduke, Jr. 607/733-5619 607/754-5533 Kia of Ithaca FX Caprara Kia 315 Elmira Road 18712 U.S. Route #11 Ithaca, NY 14850 Watertown, NY 13601 Robert G. Cutting Charles G. Caprara 607/273-5080 315/782-3111 SOURCE Kia Motors America, Inc.