kia saratoga ute front kdesign
Carsales Staff31 May 2021
NEWS

Kia Saratoga ute imagined

Will the Hyundai Santa Cruz ute form the basis of a new Kia dual-cab ute – and could it look like this?

The name and design may be fictitious, but the allure of the Kia Saratoga is anything but.

Imagined as Kia’s version of the Hyundai Santa Cruz, this car-based twin-cab ute is highly unlikely to materialise as the Korean car-maker continues to work on a larger, heavier-duty ladder-frame dual-cab 4x4 ute to compete directly against the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

But that hasn’t stopped KDesign from attaching the Kia Sorento’s front and rear designs to the Hyundai ute and slapping some Kia badges on.

When the Hyundai Santa Cruz ute broke cover in mid-April – six years after it was announced – the rumour mill starting churning with talk of a more affordable version with a longer warranty and a cheekier image via sister brand Kia.

If the Hyundai Santa Cruz ute did cross over to the Kia brand, it would almost certainly be offered with the same perky 205kW/420Nm 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, gifting the vehicle with a 2268kg towing capacity.

kia saratoga ute rear kdesign

But while we’re in fantasy land, if the South Korean brand could wedge Genesis’ new 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-diesel under the bonnet, it would develop similar power but a more muscular 588Nm of torque.

This could help it get closer to the 3500kg towing capacity offered by most ‘proper’ utes (and also boost its showroom appeal given Aussies generally diesel power for their utes), even if the monocoque platform and coil rear springs would be the limiting factors here.

Measuring just 1320mm long, the cargo bed is way off the Ranger’s 1800mm tray length. But the raison d’etre of the Hyundai Santa Cruz (and by extension the Kia Saratoga) is to tote picnic baskets, kayaks and mountain bikes in style and comfort, and with more refinement and efficiency than a body-on-frame pick-up – not to carry a tonne of lumber or several dirt bikes.

A rugged HiLux-rivalling ute from the South Korean auto giants would certainly have far more appeal Down Under than a ‘lifestyle’ ute, but although Hyundai Australia initially ruled out the Santa Cruz for local consumption it hasn’t given up hope of selling it here one day.

Hyundai and Kia execs have been issued a gag order by their superiors to stop discussing the ute that local Kia chief Damien Meredith previously said would help the brand achieve 100,000 total annual sales.

Notwithstanding the Hyundai group’s answer to the HiLux, a smaller and more car-like dual-cab could find a solid market niche in Australia – if a right-hand drive business case for the US-made Santa Cruz stacks up.

What do you think? In the absence of homegrown utes from Holden and Ford, and with many Subaru Brumby and Holden Crewman fans still out there, would you be keen on a well-equipped, well-priced car-based ute from Hyundai or Kia? Have your say in the comments below.

Image: KDesign AG

Share this article
Written byCarsales Staff
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.

If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.