CHICAGO, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Sun-Times News Group has launched a new free and comprehensive auto web site, http://www.searchchicago.com/autos, that allows the greater Chicago area to search 540 local dealers and more than 110,000 new and used cars and trucks with a few clicks of a mouse.

"Anybody buying a new or used car in the Chicago metropolitan area will want to go to searchchicago.com/autos," said Cyrus F. Freidheim, Jr., Sun-Times Media Group, Inc. chief executive officer. "And Chicago dealers will benefit by being able to access thousands of qualified car buyers."

The site, announced in conjunction with the Feb. 9 kickoff of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place, will include all dealers in the Chicago Auto Trade Association's Drive Chicago database, in addition to all automobile listings from the Chicago Sun-Times and the more than 90 daily and weekly suburban papers owned by the Sun-Times News Group.

Buyers can search by make, model and type of car as well as by price or specific dealers in their areas. Sellers can place ads in print and online and reach thousands of local buyers. Car enthusiasts can browse hundreds of photos in the site's picture galleries.

Searchchicago.com/autos goes beyond its competitors by offering advice from a well-known stable of Chicago area veteran auto columnists. More than 1,000 archived reviews are free and accessible on the site. Considering buying a 2003 Nissan Sentra? See what Sun-Times automotive columnist Dan Jedlicka had to say about the Sentra in his Jan. 27, 2003 review. And, owners can get more out of their cars with tips and tools about car maintenance, registration and safety.

"The addition of autos is an important step in building the searchchicago.com family of products," said John Cruickshank, Sun-Times Media Group vice president, publisher and chief operating officer. "Job hunters have already found searchchicago.com/jobs helpful in finding careers in Chicago's hottest industries. Now, auto buyers can shop with ease and get advice from names they know and trust. And our advertisers benefit because they can target customers in their specific communities."

About Sun-Times Media Group, Inc.

Sun-Times Media Group, Inc. , formerly known as Hollinger International Inc. is dedicated to being the premier source of local news and information for the greater Chicago area. Its media properties include the Chicago Sun-Times and Suntimes.com as well as newspapers and websites serving 120 communities across Chicago. Further information can be found at http://www.thesuntimesgroup.com/.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "project," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result" or similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in reports filed by Sun-Times Media Group with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in its Forms 10-K and 10-Q. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.

CONTACT: Tammy Chase, +1-312-321-3230, for Sun-Times Media Group, Inc.

Web site: http://www.thesuntimesgroup.com/
http://www.searchchicago.com/autos