The current generation Kia Optima midsize sedan made its global debut as a 2011 model year vehicle. Sharing the majority of its parts with its sister, the Hyundai Sonata, the Optima also shared one of the Hyundai’s homes in South Korea. That is until recently as the first, U.S. built Optima rolled of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia’s (KMMG) West Point Production line. The 2012 model year Optima will be the second Georgia made Kia, next to the Sorento crossover.
“Kia has become one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S. thanks in large part to the success of KMMG, and the addition of new team members, and the critically-acclaimed Optima to the production line is further evidence of our commitment to the U.S. and local economy,” said B.M. Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG.
A series of upgrades and expansions were needed to accommodate the manufacturing of the Optima. The West Point facility also added a third shift, bringing the total number of jobs to more than 3,000. Annual capacity for the 2012 Sorento and Optima will be 360,000 units and Kia Motors America made the U.S. built Optima possible by way of a $100 million investment.
Source: Kia
