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?
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.