Kia Motors output in Slovakia to rise on SUV models

South Korea's carmaker Kia Motors (000270.KS) said on Wednesday it expected its output in Slovakia to continue rising next year, driven mainly by production of two sport utility vehicle (SUV) models.

Kia Slovakia, which has an assembly plant in the northern Slovak town of Zilina with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, was the euro zone country's fourth biggest exporter last year. The company built 207,000 vehicles in the first eleven months of the year, registering a more than 50 percent increase year-on-year. It expected to manufacture 228,000 cars this year, up from 150,020 units made in 2009.

"The year 2010 was very successful, we expect production to continue to rise slightly next year, driven mainly by our SUV models," Dusan Dvorak, spokesman of Kia Motors Slovakia told reporters.

"We expect to build around 240,000 cars next year," he said.

Dvorak said they planned to boost engine production capacity to 450,000 units next year, from current 300,000.