A Small Kia Truck Could Be in Your Future
Even though there are only two in the segment, the small truck wars are certainly heating up. You have the 2023 Ford Maverick and the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which have both proven that Americans are willing to spend money on a compact pickup. And with Hyundai having a significant stake in Kia, the question has to be asked: is there a small Kia truck coming for our shores?
Is Kia coming out with a small truck?
While Kia does not currently build a truck for the domestic market, signs point to a Kia truck coming soon. There have been spy shots of some kind of Kia pickup in Korea, and it is hard not to see the brand wanting to offer something in the United States.
Trucks like the Ford Maverick have been so popular, that it feels nearly impossible to buy one. So clearly, if packaged correctly, a small truck can sell pretty well.
Now, it’s not certain that Kia will actually build a truck for the States. If it does, there is a good chance it could be some kind of EV. Additionally, if Kia does hope to build a truck for the States, it will need to figure out a way to do so locally. Because of the Chicken Tax, importing small trucks is not that cost-effective.
A Kia truck could rival the Ford Maverick
According to Carscoops, the spy shots of the alleged Kia truck do look more truck-like than something like the Hyundai Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz is not as popular as the Ford Maverick, but that does not mean it’s a bad pickup. It’s just that consumers seem to appreciate the traditional looks of the Maverick more.
Add to that the fact that Ford is a known truck manufacturer; it does make sense that its compact pickup would be popular.
Perhaps if a Kia truck looked like your typical truck despite a small size, it could fare better than the Santa Cruz in terms of market share. But until we see a final product, it will be hard to say exactly what the Korean automaker has planned.
Will there be a Kia pickup truck?
Whether or not Kia introduces a truck is up in the air, at least for the United States. The brand does have forms of trucks in other places, just not here. But as it becomes clear there is a market for this kind of vehicle, and if the brand can produce one Stateside, maybe we will see another small truck.
Heck, Kia could even be targeting the midsize market over one of these compact pickups. But so far, no rumors have been confirmed. What we have now are some spy shots from across the Pacific and a want for more competitors in this segment. Especially if Kia decided to take some risks by producing an electric truck. After all, the company does have a commitment to electrify its lineup by a certain year.
