Could this be Kia's ute? Epic EV9-inspired render makes for one mean-looking dual-cab
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Kia's Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger-fighting dual-cab is edging closer to production, and now the electric- and diesel-powered ute has been rendered using the EV9 as the design inspiration.
Kia's EV9 is the brand's all-electric take on a large SUV, and it's a brute. Recently revealed at the New York International Auto Show, the EV answer to a Toyota LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol is due in Australia in 2025.
While several battery sizes are available, the biggest is a 99.8kWh unit that will provide “over 541km” in the RWD Long Range model. That model also gets a rear-mounted electric motor delivering 150kW and 350Nm, delivering a sprint to 100km/h in 9.4 seconds. There's a fire-breathing AWD version, too, which won't cover as many kays, but does up the grunt to a considerable 283kW and 600Nm (700Nm with the Boost Upgrade), dropping the sprint to 100km/h to just 5.3 seconds.
Read more about Kia's ute
- Is this is how Kia will win the dual-cab ute war? Korean brand will try to rumble the Ranger and HiLux with tech-rich cabin and plenty of practicality - reports
- Kia's plan for dual-cab dominance! What the 800Nm mega-ute will offer that the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton can't match... yet
- Kia ute caught! Here's everything we know so far about the much-anticipated Korean pick-up
But could the EV9's big and bulky design inspire the Kia ute, too? That's the theory graphic designer Theophilus Chin has grabbed, using the big SUV to inspire new Kia ute renders that have us salivating at the prospect.
Recent reports from US site CarScoops suggest Kia is keen to win the practicality battle, claiming its ute will be the most spacious in its segment, and the EV9 would certainly deliver that.
We also know that the ute will deliver an EV flagship, with the pickup expected to be equipped with a massive 123kWh battery pack, deliver a driving range of 450km, and serve up a mountainous 410kW and 800Nm.
Those figures dwarf everything on the market at present, and would make an all-wheel-drive electric Kia ute a stand-out flagship in Australia.
Local automotive website Performance Drive claims the scoop on the ICE powertrains.
Quoting a source close to Kia, the site says it has confirmed the engine options for the new Kia ute, with the first being a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (lifted from the Kia Sorento), which currently produces 157kW and 420Nm.
That power figure puts it about on-par with most four-cylinder diesel competitors – and ahead of the HiLux – but it is a little off the pace on torque, with 450Nm to 500Nm pretty much the minimum requirement these days.
Kia is reportedly also set to launch its ute with a turbo-petrol engine, using the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder unit from the Sonata N Line. It produces a healthy 213kW and 422Nm.
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