Kia Dealers Claim Ladder-Frame Pickup Truck Coming In 2025: Report

It's allegedly codenamed "TK" and will get a diesel engine.

Kia pickup truck unofficial rendering

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

May 26, 2023 at 5:20am ET

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Kia's lineup has blossomed over the years to cover nearly all segments but there still are some glaring omissions. The pickup segment is booming and while sister brand Hyundai is banking on current trends with the Santa Cruz, Kia lacks a truck in its portfolio. Actually, it has one. Launched in 1980, the Bongo is still sold in some markets, but it's more of an utilitarian vehicle. The fourth-gen model is ancient anyway, having been around since 2005.

Not having a globally available pickup is a bit odd since the body-on-frame Mohave SUV has been on sale since 2008. However, Kia is looking to address these issues with a new pickup truck. According to reports from CarExpert, WhichCar, and CarSales, Australian dealers have been informed a ute will be launched locally in 2025. It's apparently codenamed "TK" and has been tested in the Land Down Under.

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Kia is allegedly benchmarking the truck against the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. It should be mentioned the Korean brand has already announced two electric pickups will be released by 2027. One of them will ride on a dedicated platform while the other has been described as a "strategic" product for emerging markets. The latter is probably the one dealers have learned about, and logic tells us it'll be underpinned by an arhitecture also engineered to accommodate combustion engines.

All three websites claim the Kia truck will utilize a new body-on-frame setup and feature a diesel engine able to "achieve towing capacity and payload targets." Development is believed to have started back in 2020, with the automaker's Australian branch helping with the engineering of what is believed to be a four-door pickup.

If it's coming to Australia in 2025, we wouldn't rule out an official reveal as early as next year. There are some spy shots of a heavily camouflaged test mule with Mohave design cues, so it's certainly coming sooner rather than later.

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CarExpert, WhichCar, and CarSales contacted Kia and received the following response: "Kia is currently developing a future pickup truck model that will be highly capable and fit for purpose. Additional details will be confirmed in due course."

Note: Top image shows an unofficial Kia Mohave-based pickup truck rendering.

Sources: CarExpert, WhichCar, CarSales, SRK Designs / YouTube

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