Kia 2005 Annual Report Download - page 24

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24
KIA MOTORS
New paths into the
North American market
will be realized through
the construction of a
new U.S. plant.
KIA Motors decided to establish a new plant at West Point, Georgia. A contract was signed between
Kia Motors America (KMA) and the Georgia State Government in March 2006. The West Point site
seemed an ideal location given that the Hyundai Motors plant is located a short distance away, about
134km north east of Montgomery (Alabama). Both Hyundai and KIA will be able to leverage our
presence to push down parts supply costs. We plan to invest a total of $1.2 billion in the Georgia
plant; with completion slated for 2009, this state of the art plant will have an annual production
capacity of 300,000 units and will produce models ideally suited for the North American market.
As the world’s largest vehicle market, the North American region is a critical one for us. KIA brands are
increasingly enjoying favor in the market, including the Opirus (Amanti) premium sedan, Sportage SUV,
and all-new Carnival (Sedona) minivan. The Opirus gained 1st place in the large car section in the Total
Value Index (TVI), in a survey conducted by Strategic Vision, a consumer research organization in the
US. We also obtained top rank in the premium midsize car section of the ‘2005 Automotive
Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study’ conducted by J.D. Power. With its soaring
popularity in the U.S., the Sportage was selected the most superior automobile in the SUV under
$40,000 class in the July 2005 edition of the Le Monde de L’Auto, a specialized automobile magazine
with influence in the Quebec region, again verifying its superiority in the Canadian automobile market.
Moreover, the all-new Carnival which made its world premiere at the Chicago Auto Show in February
will carry on the tradition of its predecessor as one of the safest vehicles in its class while offering
customers a more modern and stylish design.
The Power to Realize
The Power to Grow
Developing Potential
KIA brands are increasingly enjoying favor in the North American