Kia EV9 ute rendered

The hype and anticipation surrounding Kia’s upcoming pick-up trucks has been palpable for years now and it only seems to be increasing as their reveals draw nearer.

Earlier this month the Korean brand’s upcoming Tesla Cybertruck and Ford F-150 Lightning rival was spotted testing in the US wearing Kia EV9 body panels and Hyundai Santa Fe tail-lights.

Based on these scoop spy pics, Kolesa.ru digital creator Nikita Chuiko has now mocked up this speculative render showing what the full-size battery-electric pick-up could look like under all that camouflage, and the short answer is just like an EV9 but with a tray instead of a third row of seats and enclosed boot.

Naturally, a few other key details have been changed like the wheelbase, window line and glasshouse, not to mention the tailgate and tub (obviously), but the overarching fundamentals are all unequivocally EV9.

Chuiko believes the full-size dual-cab, which should not be confused with the Kia Tasman ute coming to Australia in mid-2025, will indeed be a “cargo-passenger version” of the EV9.

“The prototype… right down to the rear doors, completely replicates the flagship electric crossover Kia EV9,” he said.

“The rear part is so far camouflaged the most, but the lights from the… Hyundai Santa Cruz can be seen through the camouflage.

“It is very doubtful that the production model will receive such rear optics, so we have depicted a variant made in the style of the same EV9.”

If the truck is indeed derived from the EV9 it will be underpinned not by a ladder frame but the Hyundai-Kia group’s now widely-used E-GMP platform and will feature at least a 99.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

But there’s every chance the powerpack will be upscaled to help the unnamed ute match its established competition and offer a circa-600km range.

Single- and dual-motor versions are all but guaranteed and we wouldn’t be surprised if a high-performance GT version also materialises at some point, given Kia has nearly finished work on the monstrous EV9 GT.

It’s understood this full-size pick-up is primarily intended for the North American market and will only be produced in left-hand drive, most likely in the US or Mexico – unlike the upcoming Tasman and its electric derivative, which will be produced in left- and right-hook configuration in Korea.