Kia design boss says a ute would fit in brand’s portfolio

Kia’s design boss still has hopes for a ute, despite recent reports the project was dead.

Speaking to the UK’s Autocar, the Korean carmaker’s head of design, Karim Habib, said he would welcome a Kia ute “with open arms”.

“It would fit with our portfolio and the brand. In the pick-up market in the US, there is a huge amount of loyalty to existing brands. But there are also new things opening up. So maybe there is room for another brand,” Habib said when pressed about the possibility of a Kia ute.

Kia Australia has been lobbying its head office for such a model for years, with Wheels reporting on the possibility of a Kia ute since 2018 – and expectations it would arrive in 2021.

While Kia and its owner Hyundai often share platforms, rumours pointed to Kia developing its own body-on-frame ute rather than developing its a version of the Hyundai Santa Cruz pick-up offered in the US.

These speculative renderings by artist Theottle back in August provide an idea of what a Santa Cruz-based Kia would look like.

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Many speculated on Kia potentially basing its ute on the Mohave – an SUV with a ladder-frame chassis offered in overseas markets.

But given the carmaker’s move towards electrification, the chance of a model getting the green light – without having been future-proofed with a hybrid or full-electric powertrain – diminishes by the day.