FIVE-STAR CRASH SAFETY
Other than a tax refund, government agencies are not usually responsible for delivering good news. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Association recently shared some good news with Kia. NHTSA has awarded seven of 10 Kia models with a five-star crash safety rating.* In addition, Optima, Sportage, Sedona and Sorento have all earned five-star side crash safety ratings.* Kia’s engineers have been hard at work incorporating numerous safety features into our cars. And while some other companies sell you their safety features as options, with Kia most available safety features come standard.
MADE IN AMERICA
The next Kia you buy may be made in America. Construction is underway in West Point, Georgia, on Kia‘s first-ever North American assembly plant. The $1 billion, 2.4 million square foot facility is being built on a site measuring 640 acres—one square mile!
Production is slated to begin in 2009 at KMMG (Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia), and the new plant should produce approximately 300,000 vehicles per year at full capacity, all under the guidance of an American workforce of around 2,500. At least five parts suppliers have plans to set up operations near the KMMG plant in Troup County, which will add an additional 2,000 jobs in the region. Eventually, up to 10 suppliers are expected to relocate to the area, bringing even more jobs to the good people of Georgia.
KIA SETS SALES RECORD FOR 13TH STRAIGHT YEAR
“The continued sales growth of Kia over the past 13 years has been nothing short of remarkable,” was how Len Hunt, Executive Vice President and COO, described Kia’s 13th consecutive year of sales increases. Thank you, Kia owners, we wouldn’t be here without you!
* Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program (safercar.gov).
HERE WE GROW
The finishing touches are being applied at Kia’s grand new U.S. headquarters in Southern California. This dramatic piece of modern architecture, featuring a glass-walled reception area looking out over a large reflecting pool, is visible from either side of the I-5 Freeway. The modern steel and glass structure was designed by the San Francisco-based architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP, and draws its inspiration from traditional Korean architecture. Two-story glass walls at the front and back of the lobby are reminiscent of Korean gates. Take a peek if you’re driving past, but don’t lose sight of the road. You can also view our location from a satellite’s perspective: 111 Peters Canyon Road in Irvine. (Hopefully Google Maps will update their satellite shots soon, as we’re working in a big dirt lot according to the current images.)
Kia’s new home includes an expanded technical training center and houses an assortment of units ranging from Product Planning to Marketing and Sales to Consumer Affairs. These Kia teams are already hard at work in their new designer digs, which includes a 50,000 square-foot third-floor “Bridge Building.” And that’s just the start. By the end of the year, Kia’s new Design & Technical Center, currently under construction at the southwest corner of the new Kia campus, will be honing Kia’s sharp new design aesthetic.
