Bad news for Kia and truck fans. Mike Levine of PickupTruck.com is reporting (via a conversation with Jalopnik editor, Ray Wert) that the Kia pickup is not going to happen.

Apparently this cancellation is a victim of the high gas prices, and the effect that is having upon the light truck market. The truck was to built in Georgia. Instead, a mid-sized sedan will be built there.

Full story here and here.

Lightly refreshed for the 2009 model year, the Kia Optima was the other Kia off to the side at this morning's unveiling of the Koup concept.

"If there's a poster child for the old school of Kia, it's got to be the Kia Optima," Communications Director Alex Fedorak admitted. "But as Edmunds.com put it, 'When it comes to design, the Optima looks like it was styled by the witness protection program.'" (Credit for this now famous turn of phrase goes to Edmunds Automotive Editor James Riswick.)

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Kia wants to be the sporty half of the Hyundai-Kia alliance, but that just hasn't come through in any of the brand's production cars. That might change if the Kia Koup concept goes into production, and it almost certainly will: "This is a production-ready design that could find its way into the Kia lineup and perhaps sooner than one might think," said Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Motors America (and owner of a '71 Porsche 911 S). When we do see it, expect "Spectra" to be part of its name, as the Koup is built on the company's front-drive, C-segment platform.



It comes straight out of Kia's new Irvine design studio, so it's no surprise to see styling cues borrowed from cars like the Honda Civic coupe and Scion tC. There's also some early '80s Lotus Esprit in there, as the lead designer, Kurt Kahl, bought one just before starting in on this 10-month project. The very angular look of the wedge-shaped coupe is quite intentional. As Hyundai goes for more organic designs (i.e., Genesis coupe), Kia will use harder lines to differentiate itself.

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A while back there were some rumblings about a possible Kia pickup. Now PickupTruck.com (here) has some more info on this vehicle.

Apparently it will be based on the next generation Kia Sorento, which will move to a FWD-based unibody. So it sounds like Kia is following the Honda Pilot/Ridgeline formula here.

I know there are a lot of skeptics out there who think this direction wrong, but I disagree. I think that's where the smart money should be. With the ever-increasing price of fuel, and the ever-increasing pressure of making trucks more eco-friendly, the mid-size truck—that offers intelligent solutions to work-oriented tasks will come out the winner, I think.

I really believe that Honda opened a new door here with the Ridgeline. I'll be very interested to see how Kia takes the Ridgeline idea and expands upon it—as they say, 'taking it to the next level.' As per the Ridgeline, this Kia pickup will be built in the USA, and should be on sale in 2011.

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.



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Kia has just introduced the Mohave SUV in Korea. We will see it here next week, but badged as the Borrego, at the Detroit Auto Show. Straightline did a blog entry a bit earlier on this vehicle (2009 Kia Mohave (Borrego) undressed). The general specs look to point this vehicle squarely at the Explorer and Pathfinder, as it will come Stateside as a 7-passenger model with either a 3.8L V6 or a 4.6L V8, hooked up to a 6-speed automatic.

2008 Detroit Auto Show: 2009 Kia Borrego

A whole slew of photos of the upcoming Kia Borrego/Mohave showed up at Carscoop.com (here). It's interesting that the images here differ a bit from the image that was posted on Straightline (below) a while back. It could be that what we see here is a Korean-spec Mohave, and that the vehicle we get will have some visual differences, as well as a different name.

Looks like Hyundai and Kia are jumping on the AWD bandwagon. Word is that both companies are working with the Haldex people, out of Sweden. Interesting that the Haldex system is proving so popular with so many different automakers.

Actually, this really no surprise, as it seems everyone is going that route; maybe not with all models, but at least offering AWD to those who want it.

Something funny happened on the way to the auto show...well, not so funny if you're Kia.

En route to the LA show the Kia Kee concept smashed its face inside the car carrier, leaving the Kia KND-4 concept as the solo North American debut. The compact SUV concept made its worldwide debut at the Seoul auto show in April.

Newly promoted Kia president and CEO Len Hunt says the KND-4 is "a vital vehicle because it showcases dynamic and sophisticated styling cues that are strongly indicative of future Kia SUV models."

The KND-4 is powered by a 2.2-liter Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) diesel engine with Kia's Active Torque Transfer (ATT) system. -- Kelly Toepke, News Editor

Poor Kia has just given real meaning to the phrase "damage control," as their new Kee concept was damaged on the way to its North American debut at the LA auto show. The vehicle somehow worked its way loose of its cargo restraints inside the car transporter, and, well, was... damaged.

So, it's back to Italy to fix its broken nose, and thus will be M.I.A. at LA.

Kia Kee Concept Damaged En Route to North American Debut