THACO AUTO exports its first batch of Kia Carnival car bodies and parts to India. — Photo courtesy of the company

QUẢNG NAM — THACO AUTO has exported a batch of painted bodies and spare parts for Kia New Carnival cars to Kia India.

The shipment, through Chu Lai Port in the central province of Quảng Nam, was the first under a US$50 million contract signed by the two parties.

In June THACO had shipped samples for testing, and the products met the requirements in terms of technology, standards and quality and were highly rated by Kia India.

The Kia New Carnival bodies and parts are manufactured at the THACO Kia factory, the leading Kia manufacturing and assembly centre in Southeast Asia.

Equipped with modern technology and machinery transferred from the South Korean corporation, THACO Kia's products meet its stringent global technical standards.

The first batch of Kia Carnival complete car bodies and parts to be exported to India. — Photo courtesy of the company

The plant’s body painting line utilises the advanced "wet-on-wet" painting technology with an automated paint supply system, which enhances the hardness of the body’s surface and increases resistance to scratches and acid corrosion during use.

The body structure is meticulously measured and inspected by a highly accurate 3D coordinate measuring machine (3D CMM) system.

Since 2012 the THACO KIA factory has been chosen by Kia Corporation as a training, technical supervision and production technology consultancy unit for various CKD (completely knocked down) assembly companies under the Kia brand in countries like Ecuador, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, and Uzbekistan.

The shipment of Kia New Carnival painted bodies and parts from Chu Lai Port to India was carried out safely and swiftly.

MTT SAISUNEE operated by RCL docks at Chu Lai Port to ship THACO AUTO's products to India, marking the start of a new maritime route directly connecting with India’s Chennai, Kolkata and Kattupalli ports. — Photo courtesy of the company

Chu Lai Port's partnership with the international container shipping company RCL to start new international shipping routes to Chennai, Kolkata and Kattupalli in India has enabled imports and exports, reduced time and costs and enhanced THACO AUTO's competitiveness in the Indian market.

In recent years THACO AUTO has persistently expanded its markets, exporting vehicles and spare parts to various countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, and India.

THACO AUTO will invest more in research and technology transfers, pushing its technology towards automation and digital management to enhance production capacity and product quality.

It will continue to learn about quality standards in potential markets to take advantage of cooperation opportunities with international partners.

Notably, in this new phase of development, THACO AUTO is focusing on R&D and mastering the entire production process from design to product development with the aim of producing trucks and buses under the THACO brand and becoming a true manufacturer. — VNS