Kia published a sketch showing the inside of a full-size SUV named Mohave the Master that it plans to launch in its home market in the coming weeks. The family hauler will be positioned near the top of its South Korean range as its most expensive high-riding model, and unverified rumors claim it could appear in American showrooms sooner or later.
Presumably named after the Mojave Desert, the Mohave lives up to its
upmarket positioning with an elegant-looking interior characterized by
horizontal surfaces that emphasize its width, wood trim, plus contrast
stitching on the dashboard and on the door panels. Keep in mind the
sketch might show a relatively expensive trim level, and lesser variants
could look considerably less posh.
The sketch suggests the Mojave shares no parts with the Telluride,
the three-row SUV Kia launched on the American market in 2019. The
infotainment system's touchscreen is neatly integrated into the
dashboard, not propped up on it, and silver accents frame the piano
black center console. The Telluride is Kia's answer to the Volkswagen Atlas; the Mohave looks like the firm's Touareg.
Stepping outside, the Mohave wears a bold design defined by an
upright grille with chrome-look vertical slats, LED headlights and a
model-specific emblem instead of the usual Kia logo. Its rear end
receives a wide light bar with LED inserts that echo the shape of the
grille. The fresh design hides an evolution of the body-on-frame
architecture found under the previous Mohave, which the firm's American
division launched as the short-lived Borrego in 2008.
While
Kia hasn't released technical specifications, the emblem on the hatch
confirms one of the engines offered will be a 3.0-liter V6. It might be
the turbodiesel unit currently available in the Mohave, though it's not
unreasonable to assume Kia will also offer a gasoline-powered six.
Another emblem denotes the availability of four-wheel drive.
The
Kia Mohave the Master will allegedly go on sale in South Korea in
September, so a full reveal is imminent. Rumors point to an American
comeback, but Kia hasn't announced plans to add another SUV to its
line-up in the United States.
