Looking to expand its reach, Kia is considering whether to create a pickup for the U.S. market. Dealers have long been asking for one, and Kia Motors America CEO Ahn Byung-Mo is said to be very interested in the idea. The new truck would reportedly be built in the U.S. at Kia's new plant in West Point, Georgia.
Currently the West Point plant is set to build the next Sorento SUV in late 2009, which will switch from body-on-frame construction to a new, unibody platform for better on-road handling (those looking for an off-road SUV can check out the new Borrego). The pickup would also come from this platform, meaning it will be something more akin to Honda's Ridgeline than an F-150, with FWD and powered by a V-6. Kia toyed with the idea of a U.S. pickup before, showing a concept called the Mojave in 2004, but that was a more traditional model with a fully-boxed, ladder frame.
Domestic manufacturers have let their smaller pickups languish over the past few years, so there may be a good opportunity for Kia to bring out an offering with its typical low-cost, high-content formula. Of course Honda Ridgelines haven't exactly been flying off dealer lots recently, but Kia isn't looking to sell the pickup at high volumes. Erich Merkle, an automotive forecaster at IRN Inc., pegs potential sales for the truck at 55,000 annually.
Photo: 2004 Kia Mojave Concept
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