Kia Mohave: The Look-Alike
Images recently posted on Korean Instagram account Shorts Car reveal what could be the next Kia Tasman midsize truck. While details about the vehicle are generally obscured by standard test car coverings, it appears to bear some resemblance to the Kia Mohave – the beefier version of the Telluride sold in the United States.
For those unfamiliar with the Mohave, it’s a body-on-frame SUV; in essence, a spiritual follower on from the defunct Borrego. America no longer carries the updated Mohave/Borrego combination; yet, it is still sold in many countries around the globe. In lieu of the Toyota 4Runner that used to be widely available in the US market, one could think of this as its descendant.
Similar to the Mohave, the pickup truck seen in the new spy images features an abundance of ground clearance, a boxy grille, as well as LED Daytime Running Lights vertically placed.
This is not the initial ‘outing’ of the so-called Kia pickup. Way back in January, when it was initially spotted, there were several doubts if the disguised truck was true to its claims or another experiment.
It appears the latest photos feature some sort of vehicle rolling on smaller-than-usual wheels, which could be due to the removed fender flairs. Nevertheless, the prototype’s assembly looks spectacular and cannot accurately be described as a miscellany of Kia spare parts.
Not much is known concerning the enigmatical Korean pickup truck, apart from some details. The appellation Tasman has already been registered in distinct nations- even though the identification is, as yet, uncertain at present.
Meanwhile, a Kia representative verified that the model would be distributed internationally. Furthermore, apart from contending against standard midsize pickups like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, the carmaker is weighing up the possibility of creating a worthy competitor to the Ranger Raptor which could likely implement the twin-turbo V6 from the Stinger.
There’s a strong likelihood that the soon-to-be-released Tasman will first make its appearance in both Australia and New Zealand, which is particularly notable considering that its provisional title is taken from the body of water that separates the two. Moreover, we presume that it will have genuine truck capacities, including the capacity to tow and transport weighty items due to it being built on a ladder frame foundation.
