Korean carmakers in the USA
- Korean brands Hyundai and Kia have located assembly plants in the United States in 2005 and 2010 respectively. They followed the strategy of Japanese brands that set up their plants in the USA in the 80’s. The objectives were to both reduce the volume of exports from Japan and take advantage of a local presence to increase sales in this market, one of the first in the world.
- The first Hyundai plant was set up in Montgomery AL in 2005 (models produced: Sonata, Elantra) and the second in West Point GA in 2006 (model produced: Santa Fe). In 2010, Kia arrived on the site of West Point (models produced: Sorento, Optima, alongside the Santa Fe).
- Production of the two plants has increased from 90,000 units in 2005 to 250,000 in 2007, 450,000 in 2010, 610,000 in 2011 and 720,000 in 2012, an increase of 700 % in seven years. This strong growth is ongoing. Inovev plans a 850,000 units production in 2013.
- The production of both plants is sold in North America, but mainly in the United States. In 2013 , Hyundai and Kia will sell between 1.2 million and 1.3 million vehicles in the United States. There is therefore still a real possibility that the local production of both brands increases in the country over the coming years.
