Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, will invest $173 million and create 214 jobs at its Montgomery, Alabama manufacturing site. Most of the capital investment, $163 million, will be spent on equipment and updated technology. The remaining $10 million will be used to expand the building to more than 360,000 square feet.
Construction is scheduled to be complete this fall, with production slated to begin in March 2012.
Robert Burns, the plant’s spokesman said that the expansion and upgrades will help increase the assembly of four cylinder, 1.8 liter “Nu” engines to be used in Elantra compact cars. The factory currently imports the Elantra engines from Korea.
Additionally, Hyundai will be able to fabricate more 2.4-liter and 2.0-liter turbo engines for the Sonata sedans—which are also built at the plant—as well as engines for Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe sport utility vehicles made by company affiliate Kia Motors Corp. in West Point, GA.
So far this year, the Montgomery factory has produced 114,678 vehicles. It is projected to produce more than 330,000 vehicles this year, topping its stated annual capacity of 300,000.
