- Kia said it will begin building the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe at its West Point, Georgia, plant.
- The move helps corporate cousin Hyundai build more Sonatas.
- 2011 Kia Sorento shares its platform with the Santa Fe.
WEST POINT, Georgia — Hyundai and its corporate cousin Kia have gotten creative when it comes to meeting high demand for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Hyundai is shifting production of the 2011 Santa Fe to Kia's Georgia plant, freeing up production to build more Sonatas at Hyundai's plant in Montgomery, Alabama.
Kia announced the production shift on Tuesday, saying that "limited production" of the 2011 Santa Fe will begin on September 27 "alongside Kia Sorento models already in production, and on October 1 a second shift will be added to support the additional volume."
On July 1, Hyundai said in a statement that the Sonata is "selling as fast as the company's plant in Montgomery, Alabama, can produce them." Sales of the Sonata are up 48 percent in the first half of 2010. Hyundai sold 89,249 Sonatas in the first half of 2010 versus 60,481 in the first half of 2009, the company said.
The 2011 Sorento shares its platform with the Santa Fe. This latest bit of manufacturing juggling helps to keep Hyundai dealers stocked with the popular Sonata without having to import more of them from South Korea.
Inside Line says: It's a problem most auto manufacturers would love to have — trying to come up with creative ways to hurry up and build more cars. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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zeniff says:
12:43 PM, 08/31/2010
Oh, and Georgia, too. (The West Point plant is so close to Alabama it might as well be in Alabama).
zeniff says:
12:42 PM, 08/31/2010
Works out well that the 2 plants are no more than 2 hrs away from each other. Hopefully this increase in output will spell some good times for the folks in Alabama.
northsparrow says:
11:45 AM, 08/31/2010
When a manufacturer pays only a fraction of the wages its competitors do it ought
to be able to pass along a portion of its savings to the customer .
In the future will there still be enough people around earning full salaries to pay for this 'discount' merchandise?
Lord knows fewer and fewer people actually building the stuff can afford to buy it.
goaterguy says:
08:00 AM, 08/31/2010
Good for them. That happens when you have a great product at a competitive price.