Straightline

During the Detroit press conference for the 2009 Kia Borrego, Len Hunt, CEO of Kia Motors of America, noted, "The front end of the Borrego conveys strength and toughness -- like a fist in the wind." That gave rise to an odd mental image in our IL brain, but maybe it was a reference to Detroit's Joe Louis monument.

Like nearly every other vehicle introduced today in Detroit, the Borrego will be getting "clean diesel" in the near future. Hunt didn't give any details on timing but said that it would happen during the SUV's initial model cycle. Until then, the Kia Borrego will use a 3.8-liter V6 and a 4.6-liter V8.



Kia also announced an ongoing marketing partnership with the NBA, and in celebration of that, the company invited six former stars to compete in a lay-up contest -- Spud Webb, Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, Bill Walton and Willis Reed.



No dunks, though. Still, it was way better than watching another dance troupe.



After the conference, we climbed into the Borrego. The second row is spacious enough, but the third row is no more accommodating than the rearmost seats in most midsize SUVs. Not good for Kia.



At least the third-row seats fold flat, thanks to the company's decision to use independent rear suspension on this body-on-frame SUV. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor