In 2022, Kia Slovakia produced a total of 311,000 vehicles at its manufacturing plant in Teplička nad Váhom. This represents a 1.1% increase compared to the previous year. The growth in production in 2022 was supported by the success of the Kia brand in Europe as well as the introduction of new specifications of existing models. More than half (57%) of all vehicles produced in 2022 were the fifth-generation Sportage. The remaining share consisted of four body versions of the Ceed model range (Ceed, Ceed SW, ProCeed and XCeed).
“In 2022, a plug-in hybrid version of the Sportage was added to our production portfolio. Approximately 30% of the vehicles produced at our plant were electrified – hybrids and plug-in hybrids (HEV, PHEV). This year, we will continue investing with the aim of increasing production efficiency, reducing energy consumption and further improving our overall competitiveness,” said Roman Kraľovanský, Vice President of the Production Division.
There were no significant changes in 2022 in terms of the countries for which Kia Slovakia manufactures its vehicles. Cars were exported to more than 80 countries worldwide, primarily to the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Poland and France. Only European countries feature among the top twelve export markets, including Slovakia, where nearly 7,000 Sportage and Ceed vehicles produced in Teplička nad Váhom remained.
In its two engine production halls, Kia Slovakia manufactured more than 460,000 engines in 2022, representing a year-on-year increase of over 3%. Half of the powertrains were installed in vehicles produced in Teplička nad Váhom, while 47% were shipped to the sister plant Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech in Nošovice. The vast majority of the engines (88%) were petrol units.
In 2022, Kia invested more than EUR 57 million in Slovakia. During the summer, a generational replacement of 40 robots took place in the body shop. The installation of seven new robots in the paint shop helped reduce physically demanding work and increased the precision of sealant application. To ensure body accuracy, a new 3D measuring device was installed in the welding shop, significantly facilitating and accelerating the measurement process.
