Kia has officially entered Mexico, one of the last markets in which it didn’t have a presence.
The moment was marked with a ceremony in Mexico City attended by around 250 government officials, industry leaders and media. Kia said it will begin retail sales at 21 dealerships in 10 major cities across the country on July 1, 2015.
Three import models will be initially available for Mexican buyers: Forte sedan (known as Cerato or K3 in some markets), Sportage compact SUV and Sorento midsize SUV. The all-new Kia Optima midsize sedan will be added to the lineup in November 2015.
Kia confirmed that all its vehicles sold in Mexico will be covered by a 7-year/150,000 kilometers manufacturer’s warranty. The Korean company also said that the dealer network will continue to expand, with an additional 26 dealers expected to join by January 2016 and a total of 65 dealers active by 2017. All Kia dealerships in Mexico will feature the brand’s signature “Red Cube” space identity.
“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,” said Kia Motors Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Tae-Hyun.
Kia also announced that its first manufacturing plant in Mexico, located in Pesqueria, Nuevo León (near Monterrey), is approximately 50 percent complete. The $1 billion state-of-the-art facility is on schedule to begin mass production in mid-2016 and will have an annual production capacity of 300,000 units.
The plant will initially build the Kia Forte sedan, followed by other compact Kia models. Vehicles built in Mexico will be exported to a series of countries in the region including the United States and other Latin America markets.
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