"The Izhevsk car plant plans to manufacture 105,000 cars next year," Mikhail Dobyndo said, adding that more than half of the output would be Korean-designed Kia models.
He said the launch of a new Kia Rio model has been set for December 2006, with a projected 2007 output of 7,000 cars.
Dobyndo said July 28 that the company would also launch production of Korean-designed KIA Sorento sport utility vehicles in 2007. He said an agreement will be signed with Seoul-based KIA Motors in late August or early September.
IzhAvto, based in Izhevsk, west of the Urals, will produce 7,000 to 8,000 cars a year under the agreement, the director said.
He also said the company planned to localize the production of Kia models in Russia as much as possible.
"Our estimates show that about 100,000 Kia models could be sold on the Russian market in 2008," Dobyndo said.
IzhAvto is part of the SOK Group, Russia's second largest car manufacturer.
