Kia’s ute is almost ready to break cover, and details of just how the all-new Koran dual-cab will take the fight to the Toyota HiLux (and models like the Ford Ranger Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara) are seemingly beginning to emerge.
And it seems Kia will seek to cover every possible base, offering potent diesel and petrol engines, as well as an all-electric offering, in Australia – a land dominated by diesel dual-cab offerings.
While the top-selling HiLux and most of its competitors are powered exclusively by diesel, though with an entry-level petrol available, the Ford Ranger flipped that script by equipping its flagship Raptor with a potent twin-turbo V6 petrol power plant, replacing the diesel donk of the previous generation.
And it seems Kia seems is ready to take it one step further, with two turbocharged options – one diesel, one petrol – to be launched, as well as an all-electric offering.
You might recall back in 2019, when Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith told us “work has begun” on the brand’s dual-cab offering. Back then, the executive confirmed the brand would pursue diesel and petrol options for its new ute.
“We’re talking about a dual-cab, a single-cab – what we’ve requested is the full gamut for the ute, and that (includes) a dual-cab with diesel and petrol (options),” he told us.
Fast-forward to March last year, and Mr Meredith again threw his support behind petrol and diesel power plants, even in a rapidly electrifying world.
“Australia is a big country, and there will still be a requirement for diesel, and there will still be a requirement for petrol,” he told us.
But it seems the brand will now launch with all three. And it’s here that local automotive website Performance Drive claims to have the scoop.
Citing a source close to Kia, the site says its confirmed the engine options for the new Kia ute, with the first being a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (lifted from the Kia Sorento), which currently produces 157kW and 420Nm.
That power figure puts it about on-par with most four-cylinder diesel competitors – and ahead of the HiLux – but it is a little off the pace on torque, with 450Nm to 500Nm pretty much the minimum requirement these days.
If the reports are accurate, though, Kia certainly hasn’t confirmed the power or figures, so it’s possible the brand will find a way to squeeze more torque from its trusty diesel.
But where things start to get interesting is with the second engine choice, with Kia reportedly set to launch its ute with a turbo-petrol engine, and specifically the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder unit from the Sonata N Line.
It produces a healthy 213kW and 422Nm, and would act as a viable alternative to people who don’t put towing capacity at the top of their dual-cab wish list.
The third option will be an EV flagship, with the site reporting that the EV ute will be fitted with a 123kWh battery pack, deliver a driving range of 450km, and serve up a mountainous 410kW and 800Nm. Those figures dwarf everything on the market at present, and would make an all-wheel-drive electeric Kia ute a stand-out flagship in Australia.
Kia’s ute looks set to debut in 2024, which means these questions, and more, will be answered this year. So watch this space.
Keyword: Kia's plan for dual-cab dominance! What 800Nm mega-ute will offer that the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton can't match... yet