Archive for the ‘Production’ Category

Kia’s first US-built vehicle, a 2011 Sorento SUV, has rolled off the production line at the automaker’s newly built plant in Georgia. The all-white SUV is the first of an expected 300,000 vehicles to be built at the plant annually, and is set to go on sale in January.

As for the actual plant, Kia states that it employs more than 2,500 workers directly, with on-site and nearby suppliers creating another 7,500 additional jobs in the area. The site also represents an investment of more than $1 billion by Kia.

Built on 2,200 acres, the complex includes a body stamping facility, a transmission shop where the Sorento’s six-speed...

Yesterday's headlines may have centered on Ford's new-found profitability, but Chrysler and GM are working toward the black ink, too. General Motors in particular has high hopes for the future, but the federal government is slightly concerned that GM may be rushing its game plan and setting itself up for disaster (again). This could be read as an example of burdensome oversight, or it could be a matter of the government simply looking out for its investment, since there may be legitimate cause for alarm.

The concerns were expressed by the Government Accountability Office in response to talk of an IPO for General Motors in 2010. The GAO sees...

The board of Chrysler Group met last Friday to approve the newly restructured company's five-year product plan, and although the full document won't officially be released until mid-November, a handful of the plan's details have already begun leaking out.

The most recent rumors concern two of Chrysler's low-selling sedans: the Chrysler Sebring and the Dodge Avenger. Neither of those models has done well in showrooms, and both were expected be pulled from the Chrysler Group lineup. In fact, the plant that manufactures the vehicles in Sterling Heights, Michigan, has already been scheduled for shut-down. However, it seems as if both sedans...