Berlin City Auto Group Celebrates 30 Years in New England

PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Berlin City Auto Group is celebrating 30 years of business in New England this month. The dealership was founded in 1980 as a single store in New Hampshire and today consists of six dealerships located in Portland, Maine; Gorham, N.H.; and Burlington, Vt.; with 19 franchises including Toyota Scion Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Chevy, GMC, Buick, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Kia. Berlin City kicks off its 'Big 3-Oh Sale' today, which runs through Labor Day. During the sale, customers will be able to triple their down payment, up to $1,000, to put towards the purchase of a new vehicle. For example, if someone puts down $1,000, Berlin City will match that and add up to $1,000 in manufacturer's bonus cash.

"We deliver more than 40 percent of our inventory anywhere in New England. Our motto, 'over the top care' isn't a sales gimmick, it's just the way we do business"

Two Employees Still Here 30 Years Later

"There is so much history and heritage in New England, both in our stores and with our employees," said Yegor Malinovskii, Berlin City's market president. "We have two employees that have been with us since the beginning and 17 employees that have been with us for 20 or more years. Our employees are the backbone of our company and the reason why we've been able to sustain and grow our business over the last 30 years."

Auto Group Grows, Builds New Dealership

Berlin City has experienced steady growth and marked several milestones in its 30-year history. Recently, the company celebrated the expansion of its Toyota Scion Lexus dealership in Portland, Maine, which was completed in late 2009. The expansion included the purchase of two acres of adjacent land, adding more service bays to the existing service center, as well as the addition of 275 spaces for additional vehicles, increasing inventory display space by 20 percent.

In addition, a new Berlin City Honda facility will break ground in October in Portland and is slated for completion in fall 2011. The 27,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art service and sales facility will be three times larger than the existing facility and once complete will add an additional 20 to 30 jobs. Berlin City also plans to remodel its Gorham, N.H. Honda/Nissan/Toyota facility in 2011 to give it a modern and fresh look.

Convenience and Service Drive Success

"We may service small towns in New England, but we offer the conveniences of a big city," continued Malinovskii. "From our four-day/200 miles no questions asked return policy, and our lowest, most competitive price guarantee within four days of purchase, to our door-to-door delivery service, we really try to go above and beyond to make the car buying process easy and convenient for our customers."

Berlin City offers door-to-door delivery throughout New England, which was introduced in 1983 to make car buying even easier for New Englanders. The company employs nearly 75 drivers that make daily deliveries from Maine to New York. Transactions are completed over email and via phone, eliminating the need for a customer to travel far distances to purchase a car. "We deliver more than 40 percent of our inventory anywhere in New England. Our motto, 'over the top care' isn't a sales gimmick, it's just the way we do business," added Malinovskii.

Drive for Education: Supporting the Local Community

New this year, Berlin City plans to roll out a 'Drive for Education' program later this month at all locations. The company will donate a portion of proceeds from every car sale to local schools, at-risk youth and other kid-focused charities, with a goal of raising at least $100,000 annually. Berlin City regularly supports the communities in which it serves, from sponsorships to blood drives to fundraiser car washes.

About Berlin City Auto Group

Berlin City Auto Group consists of six dealerships in New England, located in Gorham, N.H., Burlington, Vt. and Portland, Maine. The company sells Toyota Scion Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Chevy, GMC, Buick, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Kia. Berlin City offers a four-day/200 miles no questions asked return policy and the lowest, most competitive price guarantee within four days/200 miles, door-to-door delivery service throughout New England and pre-owned protection on certified pre-owned vehicles within 60 days or the first 2,000 miles. For more information or a list of locations, please visit www.berlincity.com. You can also find Berlin City on Facebook and Twitter.

2010 Kia Forte
(SEOUL) April 16, 2009 - The all-new 2010 Kia Forte Koup (known as 'Cerato Koup' in many markets), unveiled just last week during the 2009 New York International Auto Show, has been chosen by the editors at MSN Autos, a reputable automotive Web site in the U.S., as a 'Best in Show' pick. Vehicles that made the list offered impressive style, value and overall potential to help move the automotive industry forward.

"As the New York Auto Show offers a number of concept and production introductions, we are pleased that MSN Autos recognized Forte Koup as a 'Best in Show' for its bold styling and immense value," said Michael Sprague, Vice President of Marketing at Kia Motors America. "The all-new Forte Koup, combined with the recently launched Soul urban passenger vehicle and soon-to-be launched Forte sedan, really drives home our current strategy to create a full lineup of value-laden vehicles with a distinct and attractive Kia design."

MSN Autos, the largest global network of online automotive sites providing consumers with comprehensive research, buying and ownership services, recognized the Forte Koup for its sleek styling and extensive offerings for a good value. The all-new two-door also was noted for its competitive power and fuel efficiency.

Based on the design styling of the KOUP concept vehicle shown during last year's show, the all-new Forte Koup's fluid lines and balanced proportions closely mirror the powerful design cues of the concept vehicle and offer the same aggressive stance with swept-back wrap-around headlamps, aggressive air intakes and a low, sleek profile. Available in two trim levels (EX and SX), Forte Koup offers a muscular yet sophisticated design.

More powerful than the Honda Civic Coupe, Ford Focus Coupe or Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe, Forte Koup EX is driven by a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine producing 156 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque, while the SX features an upgraded 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine delivering 173 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, more than the Scion tC. Both engines deliver at least 31 miles per gallon (highway), with estimated fuel economy of 25/34 (city/highway) for the 2.0-liter when mated with either the five-speed manual transmission or optional four-speed automatic. The more powerful 2.4-liter offers an economical 22/32 mpg with the six-speed manual and 23/31 when paired with the five-speed automatic.

Editor's notes: Standard equipment, specifications and trim levels based on U.S. model and may vary depending on country.
Motor show related video is available at www.thenewsmarket.com/kiamotors. You can get broadcast-standard or streaming-quality video (for Web use) and print-quality stills. Delivery options include digital FTP transfer and streaming download in a variety of file types including Flash, MPEG-2, QuickTime and Windows Media. Registration and content is free to the media.
Photo caption: Tom Kearns, Chief Designer, Kia Design Centre America (left), and Michael Sprague, Vice President of Marketing, Kia Motors America (right), reveal Kia Forte Koup at the New York International Auto Show.

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.

Kia Forte Coupe