Sime Darby to assemble Kia models in Taiwan

Operations in Taiwan are expected to commence by the second half of 2014

Sime Darby will assemble Kia cars from knock-down kits in Taiwan. "Our operations in Taiwan are expected to commence by the second half of 2014 with the launch of the first two CKD [completely knocked down] models: Kia Picanto, a compact and affordable city car, and Kia Carens, a mid-sized multi-purpose vehicle," Lawrence Lee, executive vice-president of Sime Darby, said in the statement. The company will introduce the Kia Rio model in Taiwan, he added. According to the Taiwan Vehicle Manufacturers Association, last year's domestic vehicle sales totalled 270,078 units, including 211,578 passenger cars, reports Dow Jones.