Hyundai Motor Group is set to officially launch the production of its automobiles in Mexico, where it set up its wholly-owned subsidiary in August 2014.
Officials of the group said on April 22 that its affiliates which produce various auto parts, including Hyundai Wia, officially began their operations in the Central American country, joined by a number of non-affiliate auto parts makers for Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors.
Those auto parts makers that have set up their operations in Mexico to supply their products to Kia Motors’ car plant there, which is ready to put its car plant online in the middle of May.
Hyundai Motor Group joined the list of world-renowned auto makers that have auto plants in Mexico including Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and GM, all of which manufacture cars with plants made both in North America and South America.
Kia Motors has a key car plant in Mexico with the annual capacity to turn out 300,000 autos, which was set up six years after the automaker built its car plant in U.S. state of Georgia. The auto maker has a number of car plants overseas and its Mexican plant was its fourth, following ones in China, Slovakia and the U.S.
Hyundai Wia is the first vendor for Kia Motors to have its own auto parts plant in Mexico turning out engine parts and others. The auto parts maker already put its plant in operation a month before Kia Motors is to put its car plant online in Mexico.
The list of major auto parts that Hyundai Wia is to turn out in the Latin American country includes gasoline gamma and engine parts for 300,000 autos that Kia Motors is set to produce from its car plant in Mexico, along with constant velocity joints for 200,000 cars, mainly mini to medium sized cars which will amount to around 600 billion won in sales annually for the auto parts maker.
Six of the group’s affiliates have already moved into the Kia Motors auto complex in Mexico, including Hyundai Wia, Hyundai Glovis, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Hysco, Hyundai Dymos, and Hyundai Powertech, along with six non-affiliate auto parts makers led by Songwoo Hitech, Daehan Solution and Hanil Eehwa, among others. Some of them have already hired local employees to get ready to produce auto parts and are in the process of setting up marketing teams to export their products produced in Mexico to other countries around the world.
Kia Motors Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, 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, and 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, construction of Kia’s first manufacturing plant in Mexico, located in Pesqueria, Nuevo Leon (near Monterrey), is approximately 50 percent complete and the $1 billion state-of-the-art facility is on schedule to commence mass production in mid-2016.
Kia Motors Corporation officially launched the Kia brand in Mexico at a ceremony held in Mexico City on June 10, 2015. Around 250 government officials, industry leaders and media were in attendance to witness the ushering in of a new entrant to the local automotive market and a new era of global expansion for the South Korean automaker. VIPs on hand included the Governor of the State of Nuevo Leon, Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz; Investment Director of ProMexico, Juan Pablo de Negris; and the South Korean Ambassador to Mexico, Beeho Chun.
Final details on Kia’s entry to the Mexican market were confirmed at the event. The world’s ninth largest automaker commenced retail sales at 21 dealerships in 10 major cities across the country on July 1, 2015. Initially, three import models - Forte (‘Cerato’ or ‘K3’ in some markets) sedan, Sportage compact CUV, and Sorento midsize CUV- will be available to the Mexican public, with the all-new Optima midsize sedan added to lineup in November 2015.
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A view of the Kia Motors car plant in Pesqueria, Nuevo Leon in Mexico.(Photos:Hyundai Motor Group)
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