Kia is to expand production of the Optima sedan at its US factory in Georgia to meet growing demand.

Tom Loveless, Kia Motors America’s vice president of sales, told Automotive News he expected the Optima to be Kia’s best-selling car in the US this year, overtaking the Sorento SUV.

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The Georgia plant, which assembles both models, added 60,000 units of capacity last year. The Optima and Sorento accounted for 44% of the carmaker’s US sales in 2011.

The company sold 84,590 Optimas in the US last year, nearly tripling its sales volume from 2010, but it has had trouble meeting new orders as demand outpaced supply.

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