2007 Kia Rondo Ex Wagon 4-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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What a strike in Korea could mean for US Hyundai and Kia buyers

A prolonged factory strike at Hyundai-Kia factories in South Korea could mean that US dealership inventory of certain vehicles, such as the South Korea-built Hyundai Accent and Kia Soul, could dry up in the coming months, depending on the length of the strike, reports Cars.com's blog, Kicking Tires. The two brands together rank sixth in US sales and fifth in global sales.
Kicking Tires gives fascinating insight into how a production stoppage in South Korea might affect vehicle sales in the US, considering Hyundai-Kia has two factories in the US that build the Kia Sorento and Optima/Optima Hybrid, and the Hyundai Elantra sedan/coupe/GT, Sonata/Sonata Hybrid and Santa Fe/Santa Fe Sport. The only one of these vehicles that's built solely in the US is the Kia Sorento, with the rest of them sharing production with South Korea.
Be sure to read the piece, especially if you're in the market for a Hyundai or Kia, or just interested in global economics.

Kia builds one millionth vehicle in the US

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG), the plant that produces the Kia Sorento crossover and Optima sedan, celebrated today as a Snow White Pearl 2014 Sorento SXL rolled off the assembly line at the 2,259-acre site, marking the one-millionth Kia to be produced on US soil.
Located in West Point, Georgia, KMMG was Kia Motors America's first manufacturing plant in the US and represented an initial investment of $1 billion. The plant started producing the 2011 Sorento on November 16, 2009 and is responsible for the creation of 11,000 jobs in West Point and the surrounding region. Production of the Optima sedan, Kia's best-selling car in the US for the past 18 months, started at the factory in 2011, and, in 2012, the completion of a $100 million expansion upped annual vehicle production capacity to 360,000.
"Building one million vehicles in less than four years is a tremendous achievement and one that each one of our more than 3,000 team members can take great pride in," said Byung Mo Ahn, Group President and CEO for Kia Motors America and KMMG.

Kia Stinger GT Atlantica is a deep-blue limited edition

Kia continues its massive marketing push for the brand-new Stinger fastback by announcing a limited-edition "Atlantica" model for 2019. It adds European and Korean badging and other features to the standard U.S. version of the sport sedan. It's based on the Stinger GT2 AWD, which starts at $51,400 and features a 3.3-liter V6 that puts out 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. From there, the Atlantica will get a deep chroma blue metallic paint finish, plus 19-inch alloy wheels borrowed straight from the European version. And instead of the standard Kia badge on the rear, there's a large-font Stinger logo, just like Korean buyers get. Inside is where things get more luxurious, with an exclusive espresso-brown nappa leather and a black "suede-type" headliner. There's also a surround-view monitor, wireless phone charger and heated rear outboard seats. There's a Stinger Atlantica badge on the front center console, plus two flanking both front fenders. Kia says it'll make just 500 examples of the Atlantica and will announce pricing closer to the on-sale date this summer. It's the latest example of the Korean automaker's marketing push for the new Stinger, which it bills as its most performance-focused vehicle yet. In addition to its Super Bowl ad last month starring Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, it's also offering "Stinger Experience" events in nine U.S. cities. There, people can take a Stinger, accompanied by a professional driver, through paces including a 0-60 mph acceleration run, alongside competitors like the Audi A5 and Porsche Panamera. It's also opened non-sales Stinger "salons" in shopping malls in several states. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia Stinger GT Atlantica Image Credit: Kia Marketing/Advertising Kia Performance Sedan kia stinger gt kia stinger