SPY PICS: Kia’s second pick-up unlikely for Oz

The cat is out of the bag… again.

Fresh spy photos of Kia’s second pick-up truck after the Kia Tasman dual-cab 4x4 ute have been published, showing the big new electric dual-cab undergoing real-world testing.

The images of the heavily camouflaged full-size pick-up – which will rival the Tesla Cybertruck, Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV and upcoming RAM 1500 REV – were captured in California and published by The Korean Car Blog, confirming development of the new vehicle is progressing.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the electric-only pick-up will only be built in the US in left-hand drive and is therefore unlikely to be sold in Australia alongside the smaller Kia Tasman ute, which arrives here in diesel form in 2025 and will be followed by an EV version in 2026.

Back in 2022 Kia confirmed it was developing two utes to be launched by 2027 – a “strategic model for emerging markets” that will be the Tasman and a “dedicated electric pick-up truck”, which is what we’re looking at here.

Expect Kia’s full-size electric pick-up to arrive in North American showrooms closer to 2027, given the test mule pictured here brandishes a hodge-podge of different exterior components, including tail-lights from the Hyundai Santa Cruz ‘lifestyle’ ute sold in the US and body panels from the Kia EV9.

Kia is yet to announce a name for its first full-size pick-up, but it’s likely to be named after an American county like its US-market large SUV sibling, the Telluride.

Unlike the Tasman, Kia’s all-electric dual-cab for America will ride on a dedicated-electric monocoque platform, not a rugged ladder-frame chassis.

Details remain thin on the ground, but the new pick-up will need a huge battery pack to deliver a competitive circa-400 mile (600km) range. Entry-level versions will likely be powered by a single electric motor to deliver maximum range, while top-spec performance models could pack up to three e-motors to deliver scorching straight-line speed.

The spy photos reveal independent front and rear suspension along with disc brakes at both ends and the electric off-roader is almost certain to offer V2L charging functionality, allowing owners to plug in and run power tools and other electrical appliances from their vehicle.

Kia’s second ute is also expected to spawn a Hyundai spin-off, although whether it will be manufactured in right-hand drive is unknown at present.

Hyundai has trademarked two new EV names in Australia – IONIQ T7 and IONIQ T10. The former could appear on an eventual electric version of the Santa Cruz and the latter could be the name for Hyundai’s version of Kia’s full-size pick-up.

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