The camouflaged prototype of the long-rumored Kia pickup that was spotted a few months ago made another appearance in Korea, giving us our best look yet at its dual-cab bodystyle. Reports about the model remain unconfirmed, but chances are we are looking at an ICE-powered midsize pickup that shares its ladder-frame with the Kia Mohave, the pre-facelift version of which was sold as the Borrego mid-size SUV in North America. The truck was spotted in South Korea, possibly near the Hyundai-Kia R&D center. The two new photos published by Autospy presumably show the same vehicle with previous spy shots taken during testing on public streets.
The pickup clearly shares its bodywork
with the Mohave, including the grille, headlights, front bumper, front fenders,
mirrors, front doors, and greenhouse. Holes and gaps in the camouflage reveal
the Kia badge on the grille, the LED graphics, and small portions of the
silver-colored bodywork coming straight from the Mohave. We can also see that
the plastic cladding on the wheel arches is missing, something that is common
in test vehicles. Another important detail is the healthy amount of ground
clearance which is an important factor for pickup buyers.
Chunks of camouflage in the rear part of
the body hide the details. Still, we can see the dual-cab bodystyle with a
regular-sized rear bed thanks to the stretched wheelbase and the long rear
overhang. Overall, the pickup looks like a competitor for the likes of the Ford
Ranger and Toyota Hilux, combining a five-seater cabin with the practicality of
an open loading area at the back. Up to this moment, it is not clear if the
pictured vehicle is an early development mule using provisional body panels or
if the final production pickup will indeed share that much of its design with
the Mohave. Mind you, the SUV was introduced in 2008 but went through a
significant redesign in 2019.
At the Kia Investor Day on March 2022, the
company confirmed it is working on two separate trucks, a “dedicated pickup”
that will be based on the E-GMP electric vehicle architecture, and a “strategic
model for emerging markets” which is likely what we are looking at. Initially,
it was believed that both of them would come with fully electric powertrains,
but the vehicle sightings from Korea suggest that the “strategic model” will
also be offered in ICE-powered form. Electrification would be possible with a
ladder-frame architecture, as an alternative to a diesel engine. Mind you, the
Mohave is powered by a 3.0-liter diesel which is exclusively mated to an
eight-speed automatic and a proper all-wheel-drive system.
According to the latest reports from
Korea, the midsize pickup will be a global product instead of being limited to
emerging markets. Production is expected to take place at the Kia Hwaseong
plant in Korea. However, if the automaker wants to bring the truck to North
America, then US-spec models could (and would have to) be produced locally in
order to avoid the Chicken Tax – a 25% tariff imposed on light trucks imported
to the US. We expect to learn more about the mysterious Kia pickup this year,
as the model will reportedly debut in 2024.
