Kia set to offer large SUV

Another week, and here’s another new Kia! Fol­low­ing on from the new Audi R8-style coupé and the sporty three-door Cee’d hatchback, Auto Express can now reveal that the Korean firm is gunning for Land Rover’s Discovery.

This is a first look at Kia’s new large SUV. Called the HM, it will sit above the Sorento in the range. The artist’s impression has been released, together with teaser shots of the real car which highlight some of its key design features. Set to be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show next January, the HM further illustrates the company’s relentless drive upmarket. The newcomer is based on a fresh monocoque chassis that’s shared with the Veracruz from sister brand Hyundai, rather than the old-fashioned ladder frame of the Sorento. It comes with permanent four-wheel drive and a seven-seater layout as standard.

The official images show the newcomer is every inch the muscular SUV, with square headlamps, a bold grille and chunky wheelarch extensions. It has been developed from the striking Mesa concept, which appeared at Detroit two years ago.

The final production version won’t get the oversized alloy wheels seen in the sketch, but our spy shots of the roadgoing car reveal the firm is keen to keep the distinctive C-pillars under wraps. Wearing minimal disguise, the prototype was undergoing final testing in the US. That will be the biggest market for the HM, and models sold there will be powered by a V8 petrol engine. This motor is rumoured to be borrowed from Hyundai’s new Lexus-rivalling large sal­oon, badged the Genesis.

Although Kia bosses currently have no concrete plans to bring the HM to the UK, a spokesman confirmed: “Such decisions can be influenced by customer demand and market developments.”

If the newcomer does come here, it’s likely that the V8 engine would be replaced by a choice of V6 powerplants – a diesel and a petrol – while prices would start from around £30,000.