Kia to launch Mexico-made K4 compact in U.S. later this year

Kia Corp. said Tuesday it will launch the K4 compact cars built at its Mexico plant in the United States later this year. The K4 will be available in two versions, one with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and the other with a 1.6-liter gasoline turbocharged engine, the company said in a statement. Starting with the U.S. market this fall, the all-new model will be gradually shipped to Canada, Latin America and the Middle East, it said. But the company does not have a plan to bring the four-door compact to the Korean market. The maker of K5 sedans and Sorento SUVs has rolled out the K2 compact, the K3 compact and the Tucson SUV in the 400,000-unit-a-year Mexican plant for shipments to global markets. The K3 will no longer be in production in the plant, a company spokesperson said. Kia has eight plants in South Korea -- two in Gwangmyeong, three in Hwaseong and three in Gwangju -- and six overseas -- two in China and one each in the U.S., Slovakia, Mexico and India. Their overall annual capacity is 3.84 milli on units. Source: Yonhap News Agency