When you think of the car manufacturer Kia, what springs to mind? The South Korean company are probably best known for their nippy sedans like the Picanto, and family-friendly Nitro, Optima, and Ceed. If you’re pushing it slightly, you might even say that their Sportage SUV is another model to add to their ‘best-known for’ list. However, could you ever imagine a Kia pickup truck?
South Korean Cars
For those who know a little bit about car manufacturers, you may know that South Korea is a big player in the industry. The two biggest names in South Korea are Kia and Hyundai – and the pair of them both own shares in each other’s business. So, when one of them decides to try something new, the other one doesn’t seem too far behind. In one of the worst kept car news secrets ever, it seems as though Hyundai are working on their very own version of the Santa Cruz concept. While we won’t see anything before 2020, there’s no denying that the wheels are in motion for a Hyundai pickup truck.
Following Suit
Of course, it only makes sense then, that Kia would be following suit with their very own pickup truck. Known for their sedans, and hoping to expand their SUV range, could building their own pickup truck be a step in the right direction for the brand? The executive VP at Kia Motors America explained that it was definitely something they would be thinking about, but that it was “a long way down the road.” Instead, they want to “become a stronger SUV brand” which probably means focusing on that (and not pickup trucks) for a while.
So, while there is definitely no confirmation that Kia will be building their own pickup truck in the near future, it certainly hasn’t been ruled out. Now we just need someone to make some concept images for what that would look like… We’re imagining a giant Picanto with a flatbed on the back. No?