- Kia leverages extreme sports to target young-at-heart and adventurous drivers
- New line-up of high-quality vehicles show Kia’s new extreme side

(SEOUL) June 4, 2013 -- For the seventh year in a row, Kia Motors is the proud title sponsor of the Kia World Extreme Games (formerly known as ‘Kia X Games Asia’), which resonates strongly with sports and car enthusiasts around the world. From June 9 to 12, 2013, Kia vehicles and branded kiosks will be situated around the competition venue, providing visitors to the event in Shanghai, China with the chance to experience the extreme side of Kia. 

Earlier this year, Kia Motors announced a three-year agreement to serve as the title sponsor of the Kia World Extreme Games. The sponsorship is in line with the automaker’s other high profile sport sponsorships including its role as the major sponsor of the Australian Open, FIFA Partner and UEFA EUROTOP Partner. Kia Motors was a presenting sponsor of the X Games Asia competition in 2005 and 2006 but expanded its status to title sponsor starting in 2007 to further strengthen Kia’s young-at-heart and adventurous brand image in China and other global markets. 

“Just as the Kia World Extreme Games play center stage to some of the world’s most exhilarating athletes and most passionate sports fans on the planet, Kia Motors has been a trailblazer in surprising the world’s auto consumers with the industry’s most rapid advances in styling and technology,” said Tae-Hyun (Thomas) Oh, Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation. “Having cemented ourselves as one of the world’s fastest growing automotive brands, Kia’s partnership with the World Extreme Games is sure to provide high-octane momentum for the continued rapid growth of action sports in the Asia region as well as around the globe,” he added.

Kia Motors will display its exciting new line-up of high-quality vehicles including the all-new Carens compact MPV (known as ‘Rondo’ in some markets), Sorento mid-size CUV, all-new Sportage compact CUV, K7 (‘Cadenza’) premium sedan, K3 (‘Cerato’/’Forte’) C-segment vehicle, and K2 C-segment vehicle specifically designed for the Chinese market.

More than 100 top action sports athletes from 30 countries will compete in this year’s competition and vie for total cash prizes of US$260,000 in five sports categories: aggressive inline, skateboard, BMX freestyle, sport climbing and Moto X.

The Kia World Extreme Games will take place in Jiangwan Stadium, Shanghai, China for the seventh straight year. The 2013 games are promoted and organized by FOX Sports, part of FOX International Channels (FIC) Asia.

For results and more information on Kia World Extreme Games 2013, please visit http://www.kiaworldextremegames.com.





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. Over 2.7 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in nine manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 150 countries. Kia today has over 47,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of US$42 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™. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.