Report: Kia lining up third shift in GA to meet Sorento demand

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Kia

2011 Kia Sorento SX – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia is fresh off a fantastic 2010 in which the Korean automaker increased sales by 19 percent versus 2009, boosting its market share from 2.9 to 3.1 percent. A major reason Kia fared so well in 2010 was the success of the Sorento, which managed 109,000 sales for the year.

Automotive News reports that Kia will look to increase that total in 2011 by adding a third shift to the company’s West Point, Georgia plant. Kia feels that stronger Sorento sales are inevitable given the fact that the U.S. auto market is picking up speed. Add the fact that dealers have reportedly been asking for more Sorentos for months now, and increasing production becomes more of a no-brainer.

Kia hasn’t yet announced a start date for the plant’s third shift, though dealers tell AN that additional Sorento CUVs will begin hitting retail stores “in the next couple months.” In the meantime Kia will be looking for additional workers in Georgia, and we’re thinking the Korean automaker will receive more than enough applications.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Sorento SX