MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Kia, the world's ninth-largest automaker, has officially launched in Mexico with a ceremony in Mexico City.
Sales will start through 21 dealers in 10 cities from July 1 2015.
Initially three imported models, Forte (Cerato), Sportage, and Sorento, will be available to the Mexican public, with the new Optima to be added in November 2015.
NEW ERA FOR KIA
Kia's executive vice-president and CEO, Tae-Hyun (Thomas Oh), said: "As one of the world's last remaining markets in which the Kia brand does not have a sales presence our aggressive entry into Mexico is a clear sign of the importance this market holds for our future.
“We are excited to provide stylish vehicles that feature world-class quality, safety and technology, all backed by a warranty unmatched in the market."
Construction of Kia's first factory in Mexico is 50% complete and the R12-billion state-of-the-art facility is, Kia says, on schedule to commence mass production in mid-2016. Production capacity will 300 000 units a year with the Forte first in line.
In addition to Mexico, the plant will supply the US as well as South American markets.