Overview
- The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Savannah began assembling the 2027 Kia Sportage Hybrid on Tuesday, June 2, adding the plant’s first Kia model and its first hybrid to a line that already builds the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9.
- Company officials said the Metaplant was designed for flexible manufacturing so the hybrid powertrain could be added with minimal retooling and cross‑facility training of workers from West Point and Korea.
- Kia combines output from the West Point and Savannah plants to reach as many as 550,000 vehicles a year, while HMGMA continues ramping toward its stated multi‑hundred‑thousand annual target and has not disclosed specific Sportage Hybrid volumes.
- The ceremony was attended by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and roughly 200 Metaplant staff, and the companies highlighted local jobs with nearly 2,000 HMGMA employees and more than 3,200 workers at Kia’s West Point site.
- Executives framed the move as a response to strong hybrid demand, with company figures cited showing sharp growth in hybrid sales and the Sportage Hybrid positioned to expand U.S. SUV and electrified‑powertrain sales during the production ramp.