We might see a Kia pickup truck very soon

Considering the ever-evolving customer interest and increasing demand for the pickup trucks, every other automobile manufacturer is coming up with one of its own. Hyundai and Kia, however, haven’t yet released their pickups for the enthusiasts around the globe. As soon as the Hyundai Santa Cruz concept made its way to the centre stage, there was quite a buzz in and around the automobile space, right. Moreover, people were interested in knowing whether or not Kia is going to unleash one of its own as well. And, the question was very relevant considering the close relationship the two South Korean automakers possess.

Guess what? Recent developments have put an end to all the rumours and speculations regarding the Kia pickup truck. Damien Meredith, who is the Kia Australia's Chief Operating Officer, has revealed that Kia is indeed working on a compact pickup truck. Besides, the Kia pickup truck will come out of the stable alongside the Hyundai Santa Cruz sometime around 2022-23.

“Work has begun. We're talking about a dual cab, a single cab-what we've requested is the full gambit for the ute, and that includes a dual cab with diesel and petrol options”, said Damien Meredith. The Kia COO also believes that the pickup truck will be able to eat up around 8-10% of the market share in Australia in the pickup truck segment.

Once launched, the pickup truck by Kia should land on the American shores too, albeit with gasoline powertrains only. While the engines options on Kia’s pickup would be similar to those on the Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kia will certainly want offer distinct set of powertrains on its pickup. We might also see the Smartstream powertrains on both the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Kia’s version of the same. The Hyundai Santa Cruz will be using Tucson’s platform as its foundation, and hence, both the South Korean pickups will boast compact dimensions.