The subcompact crossover segment is about to gain yet another player. Associate editor Christian Seabaugh was recently in Death Valley, Calif., when he spotted Kia’s upcoming small crossover testing alongside a number of other Hyundai-Kia prototypes.
Though you’d think a Kia crossover couldn’t get any smaller than the current Sportage, this prototype previews a CUV based on the recently revealed Rio hatchback’s platform. When it arrives in 2018, the as yet unnamed vehicle will compete against the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Toyota C-HR, Chevrolet Trax, and others in the highly popular subcompact crossover class. The liftgate-equipped compact is also likely to give the Soul hatchback some cross-lot competition, but probably won’t be cross-shopped much with the Kia Niro dedicated hybrid crossover.
Little is known about the new Kia crossover, but we did learn a few things about it in the desert. Seabaugh reports hearing a turbocharged engine under the hood, and got a peek underneath the car to confirm that it was all-wheel-drive. The engine could be a version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4 found in the Kia Forte Koup and many other Hyundai-Kia products. The Korean auto giant could also choose to spread the love and share Hyundai’s new turbocharged 1.4-liter, which is currently exclusive to the Elantra Eco, with the new Kia CUV.
As for what it will look like, we can see a set of narrow headlamps with LED accents, which remind us of the Jeep Cherokee’s headlights, poking through the camo. Beneath those are large foglights embedded in the front bumper. The rest of the vehicle is covered up, but could draw inspiration from the Kia Provo concept of 2013.
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