Russian steelmaker Severstal has begun to supply rolled steel for making front roof panels for the new Kia Rio model. Severstal earlier reached a similar supply agreement for another car, namely, the Hyundai Solaris (sedan and hatchback).
Over the first nine months of 2011, Severstal delivered a total of more than 4,500 mt of rolled steel to the Hyundai plant in St. Petersburg and obtained approval for 47 parts for the Hyundai Solaris (sedan and hatchback) and the Kia Rio sedan. The rolled steel delivered to the Hyundai plant meets the HYUNDAI-KIA GLOBAL MATERIAL GUIDE standard.
Severstal has invested over Ruble 634 million ($20.1 million) to improve its steel sheet quality for the automobile industry over the last two years. Severstal's innovations have been aimed at improving automobile body sheet quality, while its innovative developments have been confirmed by 88 patented technical solutions and 10 awards of international car showrooms.