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Kia Brand Launches in Mexico

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Kia heads south of the border to begin Mexican market sales next month

Kia heads south of the border to begin Mexican market sales next month

Today Kia Motors Corporation officially launched the Kia brand in Mexico, kicking things off with a ceremony held in Mexico City.

It was announced at the event that KMA will begin retail sales at 21 dealerships in 10 major Mexican cities next month, on July 1, 2015. By January 2016, Kia says it expects an additional 26 dealerships to be in operation, and anticipates 65 Mexican Kia dealers by the year 2017.

The Kia Forte sedan, Sportage compact crossover, and Sorento midsize crossover will be the first three vehicles made available to the public, with the Optima set to arrive in November of this year. Kia also confirmed that vehicles sold in Mexico will be covered by the automaker’s 7-year/150,000 miles manufacturer’s warranty.

Kia Mexico 2015

“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,” Kia’s Executive VP and COO, Tae-Hyun, said in his opening address. “We are excited to provide local consumers with stylish vehicles that feature world-class levels of quality, safety, and technology, all backed by a warranty that is unmatched in the market.”

Meanwhile, Kia is roughly halfway finished with construction of its $1 billion manufacturing plant in Pesqueria, Nuevo León (near Monterrey), which represents the company’s first foray into Mexican manufacturing. Construction began in October of 2014, and is expected to conclude this December. The factory is designed to produce 300,000 units annually, which will boost Kia’s global manufacturing capacity to 3.37 million vehicles once completed.

“We look forward to contributing to the continued growth of the Mexican economy and local auto industry by creating large-scale employment opportunities while giving Mexican consumers exciting new choices in their motoring lives,” Tae-Hyun concluded. “I am confident that Kia will get off to a fast start in Mexico and that Kia owners will enjoy market-leading levels of customer satisfaction.”