Caoa closes Hyundai factory in Goiás and doubles down on Chinese automakers.
A nearly 20-year partnership with Hyundai is coming to an end; the factory in Anápolis will be expanded and may house brands such as Dongfeng, Changan, and Baic.
247 - The Brazilian automaker Caoa is preparing to permanently end production of Hyundai models at its factory located in Anápolis, in the state of Goiás. This information was released by the portal [website name missing]. UOL, which determined that the discontinuation will occur between the months of October and November of this year.
With the end of local production, vehicles such as the New Tucson SUV and the HR truck will no longer be assembled in the country, ending a strategic alliance that lasted about two decades and resulted in the manufacture of more than 500 units.
According to the report, Caoa is already in talks with other Asian manufacturers interested in filling the gap left by Hyundai. Among the main candidates are three Chinese automakers: Dongfeng, Changan, and Baic, which are evaluating the possibility of forming partnerships to utilize the industrial park in Goiás.
Focus remains on the partnership with Chery.
Despite the split with Hyundai, Caoa will continue producing models from the Chinese brand Chery in the BrazilBy 2027, the company plans to expand its national product line with the launch of new products in Anápolis, such as a diesel pickup truck and the Tiggo 9 SUV. Current production of the Tiggo 5X, Tiggo 7, and Tiggo 8 SUVs will be maintained.
Factory expansion and modernization
The industrial plant in Goiás will undergo a significant expansion, with the addition of 36.172 square meters, raising its built area to over 208 square meters. The unit also received a new phase of automation, with the incorporation of equipment that was used in the former Ford factory in [location missing]. Bahia, deactivated after the departure of the American automaker from Brazil.
Another significant advancement is the plan to increase the factory's production capacity, which should double from 80 to 160 vehicles per year. To make this expansion possible, Caoa projects investments of around R$ 3 billion, allocated to the development of new products and the modernization of production processes.
