In a press release this morning, Kia Motors announced that it had made the largest year over year improvement in one of America’s most trusted reliability surveys.
2008 Kia Optima
CR Reliable Family Cars
Here at Summit Place Kia, we are proud to sell the full line of affordable, fuel-efficient Kia vehicles. Today, we are happy to report that one of our models has been chosen by Consumer Reports magazine as one of the top 10 “Most Reliable Family Cars.’
In this annual survey, more than 1.4-million US consumers voiced their opinions. Here is the press release from Kia Motors:
(SEOUL) October 28, 2008 – Kia Motors has leaped into the top ten of the 2008 Consumer Reports ‘Car Reliability Study’ in the US for the first time.
Jumping 12 places to 10th position overall – the biggest improvement of any manufacturer in the survey – Kia Motors is seeing the results of its investments aimed at improving the quality and reliability of its vehicles.
The Kia Optima (known as ‘Magentis’ in many markets) was scored as one of the ‘Most Reliable Family Cars’ in the survey.
The annual report is used as a benchmark by millions of US consumers to predict the reliability, improving or otherwise, of the top automakers. As the reports are fully independent, the results are closely followed by the car-buying public.
The annual Car Reliability Study is carried out by the not-for-profit organization Consumer Reports in the United States. The results for predicted reliability are calculated using average scores from more than 1.4-million readers for the most recent three model years. Consumers report on any serious issue they have had with their vehicle in 17 trouble spots over the previous 12 months. The scores are compiled to then predict the reliability for cars in 2009.
Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of the International Business Division, said, “This is a fantastic result for our brand, but what makes this result extra special is that it is judged by the consumer, our customer – the very people we have worked hard to please. Kia Motors has worked tirelessly to improve the quality and reliability of our vehicles and we are glad the results are bearing fruit.”
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. More than 1.4 million vehicles a year are produced in 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has over 40,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of almost US$17 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Kia is 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.
