Kia Motors Corporation and ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.) yesterday announced the details of an agreement that will allow Kia to exclusively supply training vehicles for use by motoring safety centers operated by ADAC. The ADAC is Germany and Europe's largest automobile club with some 16 million members. Effective April 1, 2009, Kia Motors will become the ADAC's ‘Main Partner for Motoring Safety Training.' Under the terms of the agreement, Kia will provide the automobile club with 200 cars which will be used by motoring safety training course participants and ADAC trainers as practice cars. This agreement will initially run for one year, but both parties have expressed an interest in a long-term cooperative relationship. “We look forward with great pleasure to this cooperation. The ADAC is a strong partner and it stands for the same values that are central to our brand,” said Jang-Won Sohn, President of Kia Motors Deutschland, at the signing ceremony. “Kia puts the highest priority on safety and dependability, and this will be demonstrated by including our cars in the ADAC motoring safety training courses. It also gives motorists the opportunity to discover the Kia brand and experience the motoring pleasure and outstanding safety of our cars.” ADAC's Vice President of Motoring, Ulrich Klaus Becker, said, “I am delighted that the ADAC has found a dependable partner in Kia, which in the future will be helping us with our motoring safety training work. The new fleet will ensure that ADAC training courses are both fun and safe.” Kia Motors' cars have established a strong reputation for their comprehensive safety features. The best example in Europe is the brand's top selling cee'd hatchback. The basic entry level LX model is equipped with six airbags, seat belt pretensioners, seat belt load limiters, electronic stability programme (ESP) and a brake assist system. The cee'd boasts superb construction and build quality, as evidenced by its 5-Star Euro NCAP rating, making it one of the safest cars in its category. The cee'd family of vehicles is produced in the Slovakian town of Zilina, where the compact SUV Sportage for European markets is also manufactured. Due to exceptionally high quality production standards, Kia offers a 7-year warranty on all models produced in Zilina. Photo caption: President of Kia Motors Deutschland, Jang-Won Sohn (left), and ADAC Vice President of Motoring, Ulrich Klaus Becker (right), shake hands to commemorate the signing of an agreement on March 9, 2009 for Kia to supply ADAC with 200 training vehicles. Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) -- a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart -- 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. Nearly 1.5 million vehicles a year are produced in 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. Kia today has over 40,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$14.5 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup -- as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" -- represents the company's global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.
