When it comes to military all-terrain vehicles (ATV), the Humvee is probably the most famous of them all. However, similar hardcore off-road trucks can be found around the world, and Kia is one of the companies making them. Two years ago, they presented the KLTV (Kia Light Tactical Vehicle), and are now looking to modernize the range with a new machine, based on the bare chassis of the Mohave SUV. Prototypes will be introduced on the road early next year, and the final production version will also be used in other fields, including industrial and leisure sectors.
This is part of the Korean carmaker’s plan
to develop a new standard platform for the next-gen military vehicles. The
project is the result of a joint investment by Kia and the Korean military, and
will replace the 2.5- and 5-ton vehicles currently in operation locally, and
develop new 5-ton bulletproof vehicles. These will feature high-torque
7.0-liter diesel engines, automatic transmissions, ABS, ASR and equipment normally
found in passenger cars, such as sat-nav, around view monitor and rear parking
assist.
Besides the traditional oil-burning units
that will power their next-gen military vehicles, Kia is also exploring the
potential of hydrogen across different military applications, including
emergency power generators and fuel cell vehicles. The technology is seen as
suitable for such machines as it can supply generous amounts of electricity in
combat zones.
Kia is no stranger to this field, as they
have been making vehicles for the local and overseas armies for a few decades
now. The range includes 0.25-, 1.25-, 2.5- and 5-ton vehicles, and to date,
they have supplied 9 different model types and 100 derivatives, producing
140,000 military vehicles in total.
