That was the question asked of the Kia Australia boss at this week’s updated Kia Sorento launch.
The answer, disappointingly, was that there doesn’t look like being a Kia ute available to Australian buyers at any point in the near future.
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Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith said that while a Kia ute would be something that the local operation would “obviously look at very closely”, at this stage he hasn’t seen anything to suggest a ute was close to becoming a reality.
The Korean brand is enjoying booming sales in Australia in recent times and many believe a ute would be the icing on the cake for Kia.
And with Hyundai, Kia’s parent company, in the process of developing a ute (details here), it stands to reason that a Kia version could be a possibility.
Giving heart to those who would welcome a ute from Kia, Mr Meredith said just because he hasn’t heard or seen anything relating to a ute doesn’t mean things aren’t happening at Hyundai HQ in Korea.
He said the company has a track record of keeping tight-lipped about new projects.
We will keep you updated as any further news on a possible Kia pick-up/ute comes to hand.
How about the Stonic?
Those holding out for the Kia Stonic to land in Australia will be disappointed to know that we are unlikely to see the compact crossover/SUV locally at any point in the near future.
The Kia Picanto based Stonic (pictured above) was rumored to be Australia-bound, however Kia Australia executives said as of now there are no plans to bring the city-focused model to our market.
Once again, we will keep you updated as any further news comes to hand.
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Stay up to date with all the latest Kia News at behindthewheel.com.au.
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