kia confirms body on frame pickup truck for north america Kia is officially setting its sights on the American pickup market. During its annual investor day presentation, Kia CEO Ho Sung Song confirmed the brand plans to launch a midsize pickup for North America by 2030. Unlike the majority of pickups on sale in America today, Kia's upcoming truck won't rely solely on gasoline power. Instead, the company says it will offer a mix of hybrid (HEV) and extended-range electric (EREV) powertrains. The new model will be built on a body-on-frame platform; it's easy to see Kia's truck as a mechanical twin to Hyundai's recently confirmed BoF pickup, a similar strategy to GM's work with the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. With the two Korean trucks expected to join before the end of the decade, the midsize space is getting awfully crowded. The Canyon/Colorado twins are joined by the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Jeep Gladiator, and the incoming Ram Dakota. 2026 Kia EV4: All the Details kia confirms body on frame pickup truck for north america Kia has already dipped its toes into the global pickup market with the recently launched Tasman, aimed at emerging markets. It's unclear if the upcoming North American truck will share any mechanical similarities with the global Tasman. What's also unclear at this point is whether the Hyundai Motor Group's joint venture with General Motors will factor into the design of the new trucks. While technical details remain scarce, we can start to follow the trail of breadcrumbs. Hyundai Motor Group President and CEO, José Muñoz, already suggested the pickup could feature the newly introduced 329-horsepower hybrid powertrain used in the Palisade Hybrid. That system pairs a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four with an electric motor. Toyota has already shown that downsized, hybrid powertrains have a place in the pickup playground. Hyundai is likely to develop a BoF SUV based on the pickup platform; it's possible Kia follows suit-none of this is confirmed as of writing. kia confirms body on frame pickup truck for north america Breaking into the U.S. pickup market is not easy. Domestic brands have long dominated in the space, and even established global automakers have struggled to gain traction. Hyundai tried with the unibody Santa Cruz, but met about the same degree of success as Honda has had converting traditional truck buyers into Ridgeline owners. The pickup is just one piece of Kia's broader strategy to grow its presence in North America. The automaker is targeting 1.02 million annual U.S. sales and a 6.2 percent market share by the end of the decade, supported by an expanded lineup of electrified vehicles. 2026 Audi A6 TFSI: All the Details
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