Kia wants to create an all-new ladder-frame SUV for the Australian market

After proving itself a capable manufacturer of unibody SUVs such as the all-new Kia Sorento and Kia Telluride, the South Korean automaker now has its sights set on a more rugged version of an “SUV” that utilizes a body-on-frame design. The move to come up with a new SUV comes from the Australian market as the automaker wants a slice of the full-size SUV segment in the country. In order for the brand to penetrate the segment successfully, it will need a proper ladder-frame design vehicle that can go toe to toe with its competitors such as the Toyota Land Cruiser.

He continues by stating that if Kia were to penetrate into the full-size SUV segment it would need to offer a vehicle that comes with a ladder-frame chassis. He further states that if that were not the case then the South Korean automaker would have to offer an SUV that was built off a pickup platform instead to get similar results.

It is important to note that while Kia does already have full-size crossover SUVs in the form of the Sedona and Telluride these do not utilize a ladder-frame chassis. This puts the South Korean automaker in a tight position as it would need to develop an all-new chassis specifically for its upcoming SUV. Nevertheless, Kia has stated that its all-new unnamed SUV will reach production by 2023 as it has already been in development for several years. It will utilize the likes of the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser as its benchmark to gauge its off-road capabilities.