Kia Motors to invest 96-B Won in expanding engine production in Slovakia

Kia Motors Corp will invest 96 billion won in expanding its engine production facility in Zilina, Slovakia, by August 31.

The facility, Kia's only plant in Europe, will produce the next-generation 1.6 GDi and T-GDi engines for the Ceed, Kia's compact car designed exclusively for the European market.

The Zilina plant also builds the Sportage SUV.

The start of the expansion was initially planned in March.

However, production in the plant was halted on March 23 and reopened on April 6, making Kia Motors Slovakia the first major vehicle manufacturer in Europe to restart production.

However, Kia again temporarily suspended production at the Zilina plant on April 20 to reopen four days after.

The completion date of the expansion of the Zilina plant would depend on the virus situation.

Kia has eight plants in Korea and seven overseas, with one in Slovakia, the United States, Mexico, and India, and three in China.

The plants have an overall production capacity of 3.84 million units.