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.
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.