Construction will begin later this year, and production will start in 2017, the Yonhap news agency reported, quoting industry sources.
The new facility, to be established near the South Korean automaker's current Alabama plant, would be capable of manufacturing 300,000 units, mostly SUVs, a year, the report said. The Alabama plant with an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles, currently produces Sonata midsize and Avante compact sedans.
Sales of SUVs in the United States soared 14.5 percent to 885,000 units in the first two months of this year from the same period last year, industry sources said.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
