Kia and Hyundai are partners in many projects. For example, many large vehicles are sharing drivetrains. Also, the moves from one of these companies are followed by reaction from the second. Just take a look at the mid-size three-row SUV segment. Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are both new models. Still, there are some differences. Hyundai offers a premium SUV, Genesis GV80. Also, its pickup project Santa Fe is close to the production.
On the other hand, Kia had a similar project, but a long time ago. Mojave was a promising concept that never entered production. Now, we are hearing rumors about the 2022 Kia Mohave Truck. Names are similar but don’t be tricked. Mohave is the SUV for some markets. The vehicle is not available for the US market, but it was present until 2010. You might remember Borrego SUV by the Korean carmaker. Well, that is the Mohave model for other countries and the vehicle that will underpin the upcoming pickup truck.
Kia Truck to Arrive in 2022
The 2022 Kia Mohave Truck is how fans imagine the pickup by the company. While Santa Fe is an official concept, Kia is yet to announce its platform for this kind of vehicle. Mohave SUV seems to be the perfect base where to start. Still, a rename is possible, since chiefs didn’t make this nameplate official.
In 2019, Kia announced that their engineers and designers are developing a pickup truck. Also, spokesmen told that production is not starting so soon. That was before the COVID-19 outburst, which can cause delays. Still, the concept might debut 2022 and the sales can start soon after the premiere. We believe the Korean carmaker will deliver the new model as 2022 truck, based on Mohave SUV, probably with a different name. Mojave is still a cool option and it also keeps it close to its sibling.
What is 2022 Kia Mohave Truck?
Kia is more popular. The Korean carmaker is expanding the lineup of its vehicles in the US. The largest units are Telluride SUV and Sedona MPV. Well, the Borrego was even tougher, until the discontinuation ten years ago. It is now ready to come back, underpinning the new 2022 Kia Mohave Truck. The company is not producing more SUVs and crossovers only. The strategy is to test other markets. The Mohave pickup would be a mid-size model, that will compete with Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, and Chevy Colorado in the US, and Ford Ranger, VW Amarok, Isuzu D-Max, and Mitsubishi L200 in other markets.
Why we are talking about the conversion of the SUV into a truck? Well, the Mohave is riding on body-on-frame architecture, that underpins all the abovementioned models. The only unibody pickup is Honda Ridgeline, and it goes through a tough time, since truckers are not interested in sporty models, but machines that can work better. The BoF is one of the conditions to make the 2022 Kia Mohave Truck competitive. Extended lifespan, higher towing capacity, better off-road performance, are just some of the advantages of the ladder frame over the unibody architecture. That is why Mohave is being mentioned as the base for the upcoming pickup.
Powertrain
Under the bonnet of the 2022 Kia Mohave Truck will lay the largest engine the Korean company can offer. Ten years ago, Borrego used a 4.6-liter V8 unit. However, this one is in the history books now. So, the pickup can rely on the power coming from a 3.8-liter V6 drivetrain. It is slightly larger from a 3.5 and 3.6 petrol mills for Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado. Nissan Frontier uses a 4.0-liter displacement, while Ford currently offers only a 2.3-liter turbo-four for the Ranger. Nevertheless, the outputs of all these engines are similar. The Mohave Truck will deliver at least 290 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.
This is a promising start. Nevertheless, we need to see towing capacity numbers. Palisade SUV is not stepping up with only 5,000 pounds. But, for the pickup, the hauling potential can be tuned for at least 1,000 lbs more, or even 7,000 total. An eight-speed automatic transmission is a safe bet. It remains to be seen if engineers are going to switch the base configuration to RWD, instead of the FWD. Either way, the all-wheel drive remains optional.
2022 Kia Mohave Truck Release Date and Price
From all we know, the 2022 Kia Mohave Truck will be a competitive model in every way. We know that development is ongoing. Nevertheless, test mules are not on the streets yet. So, there are no spy photos to show fans what to expect. The production might start late next year, but a lot of things will depend on the coronavirus situation. The price of the truck should start around $26,000. All its rivals with a V6 engine are positioned somewhere near. If Kia wants to drop the base MSRP, then a four-cylinder engine is possible as the powertrain for an entry-level model.