Not long ago, there were rumors that Hyundai and Kia wanted to attack the EV market from all directions – including at the top of the full-size pickup truck game. Well, it's been a while, and we haven't heard anything from that branch.
As the GMC Hummer EV prepared to battle the Rivian R1T and the mass-market Ford F-150 Lightning, it looked like the full-size EV pickup truck sector would turn into a veritable battlefield with new opponents like the Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Ram 1500 REV, and Tesla Cybertruck coming from all directions. But today, it feels like they have already abandoned the fight due to slowing demand, major production and reliability issues, and the distinct possibility that Tesla's Cybertruck would conquer all.
Thus, it is no surprise that after seeing a Kia pickup truck prototype out in the open sometime late in 2022, there were no more updates on the matter from our spy photographer partners. Instead, Kia is focusing now on regular EVs like the all-new EV9 three-row SUV that will feature during Super Bowl's pricey ads after the company paid a fortune for a sixty-second feature. It also wants smaller and more affordable EVs down the line, which is also part of the E-GMP series.
How about the EV pickup truck? We don't know if that will even happen due to the deteriorating market conditions and potential fears that Tesla's Cybertruck will conquer the sector much like the Model Y did with the crossover SUV zone. However, that doesn't mean a Kia pickup truck shouldn't come out to the party – maybe smaller, nimbler, and ICE-powered?
No worries if that may never happen in the real world; the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always eager to oblige. For example, Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has taken up the task of CGI-revealing a Kia truck that could easily battle the N400 Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, or Jeep Gladiator.
The best part is that it looks inspired by the Kia Telluride, at least as far as this CGI design project is concerned, and it could feature several powertrains – regular gasoline mills, hybrid options, or even a plug-in hybrid setup to perfectly outmatch the 326-hp Toyota Tacoma i-Force Max that's slated to reach nationwide US dealerships sometime this spring. Anyway, do take a look at this unofficial mid-size Kia pickup truck and remember that, at this point, it is entirely wishful thinking, so take these renderings with a healthy dose of salt.
If it does come out, would you buy one? Or do you think that Kia has shelved the pickup truck plans after seeing what's going on in the full-size EV field and based on the scary reception for the smaller Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is losing the sales battle almost three-to-one against the Ford Maverick?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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