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.
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.
Sign up for our daily news round-up!
Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights.
Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.
Excellence in Action Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Awardin the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.