- The upcoming Ranger-rivalling Kia ute has been spied, clearly intentionally – and it seems a sure thing that an Australian launch is in the works
- And, third
- Expect a big electric ute, and an ICE model for Australia
- What size Kia ute are we talking?
- “Yes, I think 2022-23 would be pretty close,” he said, in regard to a date for launching here.
- What about… Hyundai?
- When will Kia’s ute go on sale in Australia?
- Given Kia’s overall growth in recent years, how compelling do you think a Kia-badged dual-cab ute would be in Australia? Tell us in the comments below!
The upcoming Ranger-rivalling Kia ute has been spied, clearly intentionally – and it seems a sure thing that an Australian launch is in the works
Snapshot
- Mohave SUV face hints at Ranger size
- Solid axle points to ICE powertrains
- Electrified variant expected
The long, long-anticipated Kia ute has been spied in the open for the first time, wearing heavy camouflage – and a very obvious front-end mask built from the existing Mohave SUV sold in North America.
Right off the bat, a few details are clear: Firstly, the seemingly seamless bolting of the Mohave’s face to this ute appears to confirm what we’ve long expected: Kia’s ute will be Ranger-sized, making it an obvious contender in Australia’s popular ute market.
Secondly…
the Mohave’s face can logically be for prototyping purposes only, given the current Mohave design is a 2019 facelift of a model that launched in 2008.
And, third
Kia’s obviously ready for the world to know more about its upcoming ute, with the brand’s new badge clearly visible in the grille of this spied prototype. Not so much ‘spied’, then, as ‘conveniently exposed for the world’s media to see’. Fair play – that’s marketing at its best. Kudos.
Expect a big electric ute, and an ICE model for Australia
Based on comments made by Kia president Ho-sung Song at an investor event in March this year, we can expect the Korean brand to launch two utes in the coming years – larger than Hyundai’s niche, style-focused and car-based Santa Cruz pickup.
One will be a ‘full-size’ electric ute designed specifically for America and with the Ford F-150 Lightning in its sights; while the other will be a smaller ICE-based model developed for “emerging markets” in Asia, including Australia – not technically an “emerging” market, but an already well-established region for utes sold in Asia and ‘Oceania’.
Considering the open interest shown by Kia’s influential Australian arm for a proper dual-cab work ute – a ‘smaller’ offering designed to not only compete with the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in size, but also to advance the segment by offering some level of electrification (perhaps before Ford’s anticipated Ranger PHEV arrives) – it seems clear the second model will be perfectly suited to Australia.
What size Kia ute are we talking?
The ute spied here, with its Mohave face, suggests a Ranger-sized offering – while the solid axle design visible at the rear makes clear we can expect this to be a segment-competitive diesel or petrol offering, suited to Australian market preferences.
Of course, given we are currently living in the year 2022, an electrified version of this ute should also be on the cards.
Still, for those motivated more by conventional needs, Kia’s Australian arm has been clear in its goals.
Speaking with media in South Korea at the launch of the Seltos back in 2019 – because that’s at least how long the pressure’s been on – Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith could not hide his eagerness for a ute in the brand’s line-up.
“The good news is that there is conversation, so it’s still very much a long way away, but we’re confident in the near future the group will have a light commercial range in Australia.
“Yes, I think 2022-23 would be pretty close,” he said, in regard to a date for launching here.
If only we’d had a crystal ball at the time…
Meredith continued: “Work has begun. We’re talking about a pick-up, dual-cab, single cab. What we’ve requested [for Australia] is the full gambit of a ute: double-cab, dual-cab, diesel and petrol.”
That interview provided the most detailed comment we’ve heard yet for the Kia ute that could put a dent in sales leaders like the Ranger and Hilux – but Meredith also confirmed we can expect Kia’s ute to receive local tuning in Australia.
“That’s part of our robust strategy, we get every car that enters Australia to go through that process. It’s normally eight to 12 months out, so it won’t be happening in the next year or so.”
At this point, at the back end of 2022, it seems likely that Kia’s Australian team, including ride and handling consultant Graeme Gambold, are already driving the ute in Korea. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it on Australian roads in the months ahead.
What about… Hyundai?
The local launch of Kia’s ute might be followed quickly by Hyundai’s version of a dual-cab built on the same platform.
“I think that’s logical, isn’t it?” Meredith said, on the topic of the Hyundai group designing a ladder-frame platform for both of its big-time brands.
Indeed, this week’s sneaky Kia ‘spy’ photo notwithstanding, the Hyundai version could even debut first.
“Hopefully we’re first [to launch in Australia] but it doesn’t really matter. It’ll be close.”
Good luck getting Hyundai’s Australian arm to volunteer a useful statement on that, however. We’ve so far been given the classic ‘no comment’.
Meredith has never been shy of making predictions, either. In that 2019 interview, he suggested the company would be expecting to own around “8 to 10 per cent” of the light commercial vehicle segment, translating to around 20,000 ute sales.
The car-based Santa Cruz is currently Hyundai’s only ute, but don’t expect it to have much influence on the group’s upcoming ladder-frame ute
When will Kia’s ute go on sale in Australia?
There’s no hiding Kia Australia’s interest in a ute, especially when such a model could be considered a key contributor to climbing up the local sales ladder.
Officially there’s no word, but if the new ute is revealed early next year, a late 2023 or early 2024 launch could be on the cards for Australia.
Given Kia’s overall growth in recent years, how compelling do you think a Kia-badged dual-cab ute would be in Australia? Tell us in the comments below!
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Keyword: 2024 Kia ute spied, Mohave SUV face hints at Ranger size or bigger