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Kia begins developing a Hummer-like military vehicle based on its burliest SUV

Kia confirmed its global range of SUVs will soon include a Hummer-like off-roader developed primarily for military use. While the model will report for combat in South Korea, it might end up rock crawling in Moab. Engineers are currently developing the truck, which is described as an open-top all-terrain vehicle (ATV), but they're not starting from scratch. Kia explained the model will be built on a frame borrowed from the Mohave, a civilian SUV that received comprehensive updates in 2019. It probably doesn't ring a bell because it's not sold in the United States, where the biggest member of the company's range is the Telluride. And yet, it's not entirely foreign. It's an evolution of the V8-powered Borrego introduced in America in 2009 and canceled for 2010. Kia released a rendering that illustrates what the model could look like, and it depicts an off-roader which shares absolutely no styling cues with any member of the firm's current line-up. Don't look for friendly hamsters here. Boxy and tall, it's strongly reminiscent of the AM General Humvee, GM Infantry Squad Vehicle and the Toyota BXD10, which is hardly a surprise and almost inevitable. All of these vehicles were created by following the same basic guidelines. What soldiers in South Korea will receive is admittedly of little interest to most American enthusiasts, but you might not need to travel across the Pacific to slip behind the wheel. Kia pointed out the lessons it learns from developing the ATV will help it improve the durability of its civilian models. Better yet, the yet-unnamed truck will spawn variants for different industries, including the industrial and leisure sectors. While nothing is official yet, the lucrative leisure segment's gravitational pull is what transformed the Humvee into the Hummer, and what turned the BXD10 into the BXD20, which was also called Mega Cruiser and sold in tiny numbers during the 1990s. Kia expects the first ATV prototypes will be ready in 2021. Production will start by the middle of the 2020s. What else is Kia sending to battle? Simultaneously, the company is developing 2.5- and 5-ton trucks for the South Korean military. Unlike the ATV, they won't be related to series-produced cars built for commuters. Both will be built on a standardized platform to keep development and manufacturing costs in check, and they'll be powered by a 7.0-liter turbodiesel engine bolted to an automatic transmission.

Kia ProCeed GT shooting brake spied ahead of its reveal

Kia plans to introduce its ProCeed GT to the world tomorrow, but our spy shooters just caught a fully camouflaged version out testing on public roads. This five-door shooting brake most likely isn't coming to the crossover-crazed U.S., but it's still cool enough that we thought you'd like to see it. We were thoroughly impressed with the ProCeed Concept shown in Frankfurt last year. If the production car is similar to that, we'll be extremely jealous of everybody in Europe who gets to buy the Stinger-looking vehicle. As far as specs go, Kia hasn't given any hints. Rumors point to a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque as at least one of the available engines. From what we can see on this prototype, the grille has retained its shape and style – even the little GT badge remains. Here's hoping the best bits from the concept make it into production without too many alterations. Kia is definitely getting it right with design as of late with the Stinger and soon-to-be-announced ProCeed GT. Sadly, all that those of us in the U.S. can do now is look from afar. Related Video: Featured Gallery Kia ProCeed GT: Spy Shots View 11 Photos Spy Photos Paris Motor Show Kia Wagon

Kia gives K900 Matrix spoof for Super Bowl commercial

Kia made a splash when it announced that Laurence Fishburne would revisit Morpheus, his bespectacled, blade-wielding badass character from the Matrix trilogy for a Super Bowl commercial. When we originally broke that story, we offered up a brief synopsis of the spot, produced by David&Goliath.
Now, we have an extended, 90-second version of the 60-second Kia K900 commercial that's slated to air during this weekend's Super Bowl. While it does stick to the brief we reported on a few weeks back, there's a big, ridiculous twist in the last bit of the video, not to mention a few easter eggs for fans of the movies. We won't spoil it for you, so scroll down and have a look.
After you've watched the video, scroll just a bit further down and have a look at Kia's official press release on the commercial.