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KIA AUTOMOTIVE AUSTRALIA

Brisbane Motor Show / Page 1 / January 6, 2003

QUEENSLAND DEBUT FOR THE ALL-NEW KIA SORENTO

The all-new Kia Sorento will make its Queensland debut at the Brisbane International Motor Show on 7 February 2003, just weeks before its national launch.

The new Kia Sorento blends together Kia’s unique reputation for producing tough, go anywhere four wheel drive cars with a new level of style, quality and sophistication while retaining the outstanding value for money that has become Kia’s trademark.

At 4.5 metres long and with a height and width of 1.7 and 1.8 metres, the Kia Sorento is very much a full-size four wheel drive. Providing the power is a 3.5 litre V6 enginematched to an electronically controlled four speed automatic gearbox. The four wheel drive system is a switchable on the fly, electronically engaged four wheel drive system. And, as would be expected of a four wheel drive with the heritage of the Sorento, this is very much a real four wheel drive, with all the hallmarks of what separates the real thing from the wannabes:A separate chassis, high and low range gearbox, switchable four wheel drive and a 20 cm ground clearance.

But at the same time, Kia has recognized that 4WDs are bought for much more than the ability to climb every mountain and ford every stream. They must look good, which the Sorento unquestionablydoes, have a spacious interior capable of transporting five adults in comfort and have space for all their luggage. The suspension – double wishbone at the front and five link at the rear – providesexcellent ride quality and the interior is as peaceful as a country morning, even when crossing the SydneyHarbourBridge in rush hour. The interior is full of features to ease every day life, from cupholders and power points, to steering wheel mounted cruise control buttons.

The new Sorento will be joined on the Kia stand by the new Kia Rio hatch and sedan, which went on sale in Australia on 1 January 2003with new style, more equipment and features but with the same 2002 pricing, with the Rio sedan and hatch available from $14,990 including, AirCon, central locking, power steering and a CD player.

The New Rio has been re-styled with new skin panels ahead of the A-pillar on both the sedan and the hatchback with a new tail for the sedan and minor changes to the tail of the five door. Aside from the sleek new appearance, the main advantage at the front is new light lenses that provide more powerful and better defined light on both dipped and full beam. At the rear, both versions of the new Rio now feature an LED equipped high level brake light that responds more quickly than conventional light bulbs and provides a more intense red light.

The re-design of the dashboard of the Kia Rio has been aimed at both making it more versatile and easier to use, as well as more elegant. This translates into a new surface finish and design on one hand and a plethora of new features on the other. For example, there are now two glove boxes ahead of the front passenger seat; the centre console has two cup holders, designed to hold everything from the full size one litre cup to normal size drinks cans and cups; the door pockets are larger than on the previous Rio and also include a bottle holder at their leading edge that is large enough for a 1.5 litre PET bottle; the speakers have been upgraded to provide a richer bass response and, thanks to the tweeter speakers at the base of the A-pillar, better stereo separation; the standard central locking now operates from both front doors and the interior light has an automatic dimmer.

With its larger than class average exterior dimensions, the Kia Rio continues to offer generous interior space, with more than a metre of leg room in the front and 787 mm in the rear. The seats in the Rio are also new, with new variable density foam fitted to more generously shaped seat frames. This combination ensures both comfort and safety. New cloth upholstery is used throughout and this extends to the door trims. The boot of the Kia Rio is equally generous, offering 269 litres in the sedan, while the hatch has a 449 litre boot with the rear seat in place and a load swallowing 1.2 cubic metres with the rear seats folded. The interior of the new Kia Rio is quieter thanks to new sound proofing used throughout the interior to combat both drivetrain and road noise.

On the road, the new Rio is both more comfortable and more responsive. The MacPherson strut front suspension has been modified with a new three point mounting and the struts themselves are 10 mm longer to enable the Rio to absorb large bumps with equanimity. The tension bar has been changed from a bush to bolt type and the diameter of the anti-roll bar has been increased by 1.0 mm. The entire suspension system has been strengthened and new sound proofing measures have been undertaken to reduce transmission of road noise to the passenger cabin. At the rear the new Rio uses a torsion beam axle suspension and this, too, has been strengthened by straightening the lower edge of the torsion beam and increasing the diameter of the anti-roll bar by 3.6 mm and increasing the size of its attachment points. Gas-filled shock absorbers are standard on the new Kia Rio.

To further improve the safety of the Kia Rio, a number of changes have been made. The body is now more rigid, which also improves handling and refinement; the front disks have been increased in size and the size of the brake lining on the rear axle has been increased for better stopping power; new re-designed bars and beams have been fitted to the doors to reduce side impact penetration.

The Kia Rio is fitted as standard with a Kia M-Tech 1.5 litre 71 kW engine and minor changes have been made to the engine to enhance refinement. It provides healthy performance and good economy, whether mated with the standard five speed manual gearbox or the optional four speed electronic automatic.

The Kia Rio is well equipped. As well as AirCon, power steering and a Hi-Fi digital stereo system with six speakers, central locking, a rear power socket, a driver’s side airbag, remote control door mirrors are all standard. Cloth upholstery is standard, as is full instrumentation with a rev-counter and digital clock. The wipers have three speeds and an intermittent setting and a rear wiper is standard on the five door Rio. The only options are automatic transmission and metallic paint.

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For further information:
Ric Hull / Edward Rowe
Managing Director / Public Relations Manager
Kia Automotive Australia / Kia Automotive Australia
Ph: (02) 8577 8000 Mob: 0419 722 888 / Ph: (02) 8577 8000 Mob: 0407 913 244
Fax: (02) 9558 7722 E-mail: / Fax: (02) 9558 7722 E-mail: