The hatchback model, designed on the basis of Kia’s “Opposites United” (United Opposites) design philosophy, sets a striking new accent in the aesthetically more traditional C-segment. Particularly characteristic is the side profile with its low nose, elongated silhouette, and sloping rear window. This versatile all-round model, first unveiled in February 2025, is intended to make the transition to e-mobility easier for a broad customer base.
Plant modernized for 108 million euros, exports to 83 countries
The Slovak Kia plant is a cornerstone of the company’s European operations. The manufacturing facility, opened at the end of 2006 and built on a site of almost two square kilometers, is strategically located to supply key European markets. The plant employs around 3,700 people and features more than 600 state-of-the-art robots. In its five production areas—press shop, body shop, paint shop, engine production, and final assembly—different models can be manufactured simultaneously. As part of the modernization, involving an investment of 108 million euros, the production lines were equipped with new technologies, including a conveyor belt for electric-vehicle batteries on the chassis line in the final assembly hall.
The plant also produces models such as the Kia XCeed and the Kia Sportage—including hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, which accounted for around 25 percent of total production in 2024. The facility’s annual capacity is 350,000 vehicles and 540,000 engines. Since the plant opened, more than five million vehicles have rolled off the line in Zilina. This means that roughly 11 percent of Kia’s global production comes from the site in Slovakia, which exports vehicles to 83 countries. Through sustainability measures, Kia Slovakia has reduced electricity consumption per vehicle by 11 percent, water consumption by 28 percent, and CO2 emissions by 13 percent since 2014. Today, the plant is powered entirely by electricity from renewable sources. There are also plans to cover about 1.5 percent of total energy demand with a new photovoltaic installation by the end of this year.
Translated automatically from German.