Kia Comes to Upstate New York
15 January 1998
Kia Expands Its New York State Of Mind; Kia Comes to Upstate New York
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 15 -- Kia concludes its Empire State
launch this month as 12 dealerships in upstate New York are scheduled to be
selling Kias by the end of January.
These dealership openings are part of Kia's planned expansion across
America: with the additional New York dealers, Kia vehicles now are on sale at
more than 330 dealerships in 32 states.
Kia currently sells two vehicles -- the Sephia (pronounced Seh-FEE-uh)
compact sedan and the Sportage (SPORT-ij) sport-utility vehicle, with the
Sportage 2-Door Convertible due out in Spring 1998.
"Upstate New York is a perfect market for our vehicles," explained Greg
Warner, Kia's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "What we
offer is reliable, affordable transportation that New Yorkers want. The
Sephia has more standard equipment than many competitors, yet its starting
price begins well below that of other compact sedans. Our Sportage is a fun
alternative to sedans and turns heads wherever it goes."
Kia began business in the United States in August 1993 when it put 2,000
Sephias in service with Budget Rent-A-Car. Using a market-by-market strategy
championed by Warner, Kia started in the West and Southwest in 1994. Kia
dealers are now prominent on the East Coast, and the company plans to continue
its launch into New England and the Midwest in the next few months. By the
end of 1998, Kia plans to have about 500 dealerships in the 48 contiguous
states.
"We only choose dealerships that demonstrate a commitment to maintaining
customer satisfaction. Our mission is to provide affordable, value-laden
vehicles, but our goal is to serve our customers," Warner said. "We want
dealers who are able to put the customer first."
Kia's customer-driven philosophy is backed by dependable, reliable
vehicles that have completed real-world testing with flying colors. The
Sephia, which stood up well to the abuses of rental car drivers, pizza
delivery guys and driving school students, is an affordably priced, well-
equipped compact sedan with a manufacturer's suggested retail price beginning
at $9,995. The 1998 model features a powerful 1.8-liter, 16-valve, dual
overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine and dual airbags.
The Sportage was the recipient of a 1997 "Best Overall Value of the Year"
award from IntelliChoice, Inc., an independent consumer research firm. The
Sportage also was named the best buy among Compact sport-utility vehicles
according to the "Men's Journal" 1997 Buyer's Guide and was named one of "Four
Wheeler" magazine's top 10 best buys for 1996 and 1997. "Popular Science"
voted the Sportage the "Best of What's New" in 1995.
The Sportage is a rugged sport-utility vehicle designed with passenger
comfort in mind. Able to support an active lifestyle, the Sportage has a
2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC engine and a driver-side airbag system, which
features the world's first knee airbag. The Sportage is available in 4x4 and
4x2 models. Prices for the 1998 Sportage begin at $14,895.
To support its customer first philosophy, Kia has established several
policies that set it apart from other manufacturers. All Kia Sephias come
with very competitive warranties: a three-year/36,000-mile basic limited
vehicle warranty and five-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain coverage. All
owners are covered by Kia Extra-Mile Care, a program that includes 24-hour
roadside assistance, for the term of the basic limited warranty. Kia will
contact customers no less than seven times during the first two years of
ownership, including surveys following the initial purchase and first service
to make sure they're happy with the service they received.
Kia Motors America is the U.S. sales, marketing and distribution arm of
Kia Motors Corp., in Seoul, South Korea.
UPSTATE NEW YORK DEALERSHIPS
DePaula Kia Roger Burdick Kia
781 Central Avenue 3724 Brewerton Road
Albany, NY 12206 North Syracuse, NY 13212
Anthony DePaula Roger Burdick
518/489-5551 315/455-7051
Northtown Kia Garvey Kia
1135 Millersport Highway 714 Quaker Road
Amherst, NY 14226 Queensbury, NY 12804
Lawrence Schreiber J. Peter Garvey III
716/833-1300 518/793-3488
Morris Kia Dorschel Kia
872 Saratoga Road - Route 50 3399 W. Henrietta Road
Burnt Hills, NY 12027 Rochester, NY 14623
Terrence L. Morris Richard J. Dorschel
518/399-9188 716/334-9440
Doan Kia Cooper Kia
1177 Fairport Road 5839 Rome-Taberg Road
Fairport, NY 14450 Rome, NY 13442
Ray Helfrich David Cooper
716/385-2090 315/336-6660
Van Brunt Kia Feduke Kia
3087 Lake Road 2200 Vestal Parkway East
Horseheads, NY 14845 Vestal, NY 13850
Michael M. Van Brunt John D. Feduke, Jr.
607/733-5619 607/754-5533
Kia of Ithaca FX Caprara Kia
315 Elmira Road 18712 U.S. Route #11
Ithaca, NY 14850 Watertown, NY 13601
Robert G. Cutting Charles G. Caprara
607/273-5080 315/782-3111
SOURCE Kia Motors America, Inc.