Hyundai moves to cut ix35 waiting lists
08 April 2011
- ix35 crossover to switch factories
- Car currently being made in Kia factory
- Boss has Nissan Qashqai in his sights
Production of the Hyundai ix35 will be moved to a different factory from June in an attempt to cut waiting lists
.
The car is currently built at the Kia factory in Slovakia, but production will move to Hyundai’ facility in the Czech Republic.
Hyundai officials said they hope the move will give greater flexibility to ramp up production and keep a closer control on logistics as the cars are built.
Ambitions to overhaul Qashqai sales
Allan Rushforth, chief operating officer and senior vice-president of Hyundai Motor Europe, has also revealed that the company has ambitions for the ix35 to overhaul the Nissan Qashqai as Europe's best-selling crossover. Around 200,000 Qashqais are sold per year, compared with 85,000 ix35s.
'We see a clear opportunity to take the lead,' said Rushforth. 'The factory move is part of that, so we can upgrade our processes and upgrade the deliveries. The two-wheel-drive models are showing particular promise, but we aren't in a position to exploit that popularity yet.'
Rushforth also highlighted the mini-MPV market as a potential growth area. Hyundai currently sells the ix20, and is expected to build a more style-led mini-MPV in the longer-term, based on the Curb concept car unveiled at this year's Detroit motor show.
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