A ladder-frame SUV from Kia is no longer considered a priority for the South Korean car manufacturer.
Last year, it was reported that Kia could partner with Hyundai to develop a ladder frame chassis that would be used by SUVs from both brands. Such vehicles could be positioned as rivals to the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser.
However, Kia Australia’s General Manager of product, Roland Rivero, recently told
Cars Guide that the brand currently has other vehicles to prioritize.
“Look at this stage, at this point in time, the priority would be where the biggest volume is at,” he said. “That by no means means it’s a dead duck, but the priority right now with resources is where the biggest volume is at.”
A couple of years ago, Kia Australia revealed that it was working on a dual-cab pickup for the local market that would be positioned as a rival to the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. However, it now appears as though the pickup won’t become a reality as soon as originally expected, if at all.
The truck was originally expected to launch in 2022 but during a recent interview with
Cars Guide, Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith admitted that he doesn’t know what the South Korean automaker’s current plans for the vehicle are.
“We still haven’t got a clear direction on what’s going to happen with LCV (light commercial vehicle), that’s the honest truth,” Meredith said. “We would hope that in the next couple of years that something does occur with LCV for our brand, not just for Australia but globally. The good thing is that if it does occur then I think we’ll have a lot of ownership on it because we’re [Australia] a big market. 2022 is… unless th