Kia Georgia Begins Production of the All-New 2023 Sportage

Feb 28, 2022

Sportage becomes the fourth model produced by Kia Georgia, joining the popular and critically-acclaimed Telluride, Sorento and K5, further expanding plant’s product lineup.

Production began earlier in February for the all-new 2023 Kia Sportage at the company’s very first North American manufacturing facility located in West Point, Georgia! The Georgia facility produces 340,000 units annually, since its opening in November 2009.

On February 1st, Sean Yoon, the president and CEO for Kia North America, was there to give the inaugural reveal of the all-new 2023 Sportage in this monumental advancement for the Georgia facility. It was then driven off the assembly line by Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp along with Kia Georgia’s VP of Production James Watson. It was an exciting moment for Kia overall, and truly a sight to see with the 2023’s Sportage in a gorgeous jungle green color and decked out with the fantastic X-Pro Prestige Trim Package.

The Sportage is Kia’s longest running model, and has received the most significant updates and improvements of all the company’s designs. The 2023 edition has received some incredible updates to bring it up to speed with competitors and rise above the pack.

The X-Pro Sportage includes 17 inch wheels and all-terrain tires, a heated windshield, LED Fog Lamps, multi-terrain drive modes, and washer nozzles to help keep it clean after an off road adventure! There are plenty of trim options to help aid its new, sportier and rugged look, too. Inside, the 2023 Sportage has a full tech packages including a dual-screen dash with 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system as well as a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster. No matter where you’re going, you’ll be navigating with ease and the utmost clarity! In keeping with Kia’s high standards, it is also jam packed with high end safety features including forward collision and rear park warnings, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and even a birds-eye-view camera. In short, this is the perfect person who wants a practical SUV for a daily driver during the week, but capable of powering through off-road trails on your weekend warrior trips!

The Sportage is the 4th vehicle to be manufactured on Kia Georgia’s production line, which includes the award-winning Telluride SUV, Sorento SUV, and the K5 mid-size sedan.

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“It was an honor to be here today for this milestone achievement by the Kia Georgia team,” said Governor Kemp. “The Sportage is yet another great product built in Georgia, and its launch here in West Point is a proud moment for our state. I congratulate all of the great Kia Georgia team members for their continued commitment to quality and growth, and thank them for bringing more opportunity to the No. 1 state for business.”

“The launch of Sportage in Georgia is a further testament to Kia’s longstanding dedication to the U.S. market and the local economy,” said Yoon. “Joining our tremendous fleet of SUVs, the all-new Sportage is poised to take the industry by storm with its cutting-edge design, adventurous capability and desirable in-car technology. Coming off a record-setting sales year in 2021, today’s launch adds further momentum to the Kia brand’s fast start in 2022.”

Stuart Countess, president and CEO of Kia Georgia, credited the Kia Georgia team’s long history of success and its reputation for quality as big factors in the ability to add a fourth model.

“The Kia Georgia team as a group is second to none and has been producing award-winning vehicles for more than 12 years,” said Countess. “Today’s ceremony is another phenomenal accomplishment by the Kia Georgia team and I hope that each team member will take a lot of pride in being a part of this special day.”

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