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Kia confirms $1B factory in Mexico to be completed in 2016

Kia is the latest in a string of automakers to announce plans to build new or expanded factories in Mexico. The Korean company has signed a $1 billion deal to establish a plant in Monterrey in the state of Nuevo León, with construction starting in late September. If everything proceeds on schedule, the facility should be complete in the first half of 2016 and be able to produce 300,000 vehicles a year.
The $1-billion investment will create a "new, highly automated manufacturing plant," according to Kia's announcement, a facility covering 1,235 acres of land. Confirming earlier rumors, Kia will produce compact models there, but the company won't reveal specific model names, just yet. When complete, the factory in Mexico will boost the automaker's annual capacity to 3.37 million vehicles a year with 1.69 million of those in Korea and 1.68 million abroad. It will also join Kia's plant in Georgia (where the Optima and Sorento are made) as the business' other North American location.
Kia hasn't kept plans for the Mexican factory a very close secret and openly admitted it was "being considered as a possible location" to Autoblog. The country was chosen partially because of its free-trade agreements (read: NAFTA), that make it less costly to move models elsewhere, not to mention its easy access to the North, Central and South American markets. The new plant should also alleviate some of the tight supply issues Kia has had in the US.

Lucid Air and Maserati MC20 unveiled | Autoblog Podcast #644

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. Before they get to the juicy news of the week, they chat about the cars they've been driving, including a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, Audi A6 Allroad, Mazda CX-9 and Kia Niro. It's been a busy week in the news department, with GM investing in Nikola, Lucid Motors launching the Air electric sedan, Maserati unveiling the MC20 mid-engined supercar and a farewell to the Lexus GS. Then they talk about having a newfound respect for the Fox Body Mustang and the Mazda CX-9. Autoblog Podcast #644 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R 2020 Audi A6 Allroad 2020 Mazda CX-9 2020 Kia Niro GM buys $2 billion stake in Nikola, will build Badger hydrogen-electric pickup Update: Short-seller accuses Nikola of fraud and Nikola threatens to sue Lucid Air production electric luxury sedan is a dream revealed Lucid Air's modular powertrain opens up serious performance possibilities Lucid Motors teases electric SUV at Air debut Mid-engined, 621-horsepower MC20 inaugurates a new era for Maserati All future Maseratis will borrow styling cues from the MC20  2023 Maserati MC20 Folgore planned with three-motor electric powertrain Lexus GS dead for 2021 Respect to: Fox Body Mustang Mazda CX-9 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Kia Rio hatchback facelift in Europe brings lots of new tech

Earlier this year, Kia put a fleet of Rio hatchback prototypes on the road in Europe wearing near full-body camouflage, which was a lot of secrecy for what was expected to be a minor facelift. The South Korean automaker has revealed the final product in Europe with an unforeseen bounty of changes to increase efficiency and bolster technology. The cosmetic formula doesn't deviate much, a narrower tiger grille sitting over a thicker bumper with reshaped fog light housings. At the corners, all Rios will come with full LED lighting. The color palette grows with the addition of Perennial Grey and Sporty Blue, the latter hue seeping into the cabin with a blue color pack that brightens up the dashboard, seat bolsters, arm rests, and contrast stitching. The GT-Line goes monochrome with a black interior offset by white piping and stitching, and a carbon-fiber-effect dashboard. Every model comes with a height-adjustable driver's seat, which is an optional upgrade for the passenger's seat. New 16-inch, eight-spoke wheels will also be available. Under the hood, Kia debuts an EcoDynamics+ powertrain with new 1.0-liter Smartstream mild hybrid gas engines in two outputs that replace the 1.0-liter Kappa engines. The Rio marks Kia's first application of a 48-volt mild hybrid system, the belt-driven integrated starter generator programmed to extend its shutdown time to increase fuel economy. The 99- and 118-horsepower outputs match the previous engines, but in the 118-hp version torque rises from 127 pound-feet to 148. Both mills will offer three drive modes, Normal, Eco, and Sport. Squeezing out more efficiency for buyers who stick with the standard manual transmissions, Kia engineers developed a clutch-by-wire. Instead of a mechanical linkage, electronics control the clutch actuation. Combined with an update to make the engine start/stop system dependent on pressing the brake and the clutch instead of just the clutch, manual-equipped Rios expand the time the engine is shut off when coasting to a stop. The other two engines in the lineup will be new versions of the 1.0-liter with 99 hp that will come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard instead of the five-speeder, and naturally-aspirated 1.2-liter with 83-hp. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will be optional.  Inside, the dash cluster fits a 4.2-info screen with higher resolution.