With ambitious plans to develop over a dozen new models by 2027, there is a high possibility that Kia is silently developing a model to contend in the highly lucrative bakkie segment. Here is everything we know on a potential Hilux rivalling model.
During the Kia Investor Day that was held in May 2022, the South Korean automaker said that it plans to launch at least two BEVs per year in order to build a lineup of 14 battery-electric vehicles by 2027. Kia’s president Mr. Ho-sung Song revealed plans to produce specialized electric vehicles in four major markets to expand the electric vehicle volume. Will a fully electric bakkie fall under this new plan?
New spy shots and renderings have recently emerged on the internet, showing a bakkie development mule from Kia adorned in heavy camouflage. Aside from commercial vehicles like the K2700 (also known as the Bongo), Kia has never built a consumer-grade pickup and this will be a turning point for the brand as they attempt to tap into a new market. Based on what we can see from the spy shots and these Ford Ranger-based renderings, the Kia Bakkie is most likely to borrow the Mohave nameplate from its SUV sibling The potential bakkie also shares the same bodywork as the Kia Mohave including the grille, headlights, front fenders, front bumper and side mirrors.
The Kia Mohave is based on a ladder-frame chassis and comes fitted with a 3,0-litre diesel engine sending power to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. While this configuration sounds perfect for a bakkie that could rival the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, it is still not clear that the bakkie will indeed be based on the SUV. The speculative renderings show a stylish and modern design for the Kia bakkie, borrowing some design elements from the flagship models. That is most likely to apply to the interior as well, the style and design language will possibly be familiar to the Kia Sportage.
There are other aspects that the bakkie could lend from other Kia models, perhaps even a Sportage powertrain. But there are suggestions and rumours that the bakkie will be fully electric from the get-go. With the automotive world transitioning swiftly into electrification, it’s very unlikely Kia’s future bakkie will feature a newly-developed diesel powertrain. If the Kia decision-makers feel generous and grant us a diesel powertrain there will definitely be a potential for an EV version too. For now, there isn’t any word on the powertrain, arrival date, pricing and specifications, it’s just pure speculation but we are liking what we see!
