Kia??s New Borrego SUV to Boast V8 Power

Kia will be adding a third model to its SUV lineup next year. Larger than its compact Sportage and midsize Sorento, it will be dubbed Borrego, after the bighorn sheep by the same name that’s native to California.

While not as bold as a bighorn when it comes to styling, Kia claims that the Borrego takes styling cues from the overtly masculine Mesa concept first shown at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. While some design elements may have indeed been carried over, the photo Kia supplied shows a much more conservatively penned SUV.

Interestingly, while a great deal of speculation had been floating around that the new model would pull architecture from parent company Hyundai’s popular Santa Fe and Veracruz crossover lineup, the Borrego won’t deviate from Kia’s go-anywhere off-road image cultivated by the rugged Sorento, having been designed as a true body-on-frame 4×4. Still, the Korean brand promises it will incorporate “the latest NVH engineering philosophy for enhanced refinement”, so expect ride quality, interior quietness, fit and finish plus materials quality to compare with much more expensive premium models.

While Kia calls the new Borrego its first midsize SUV, for all intents and purposes it appears to be on the larger side of midsize, just like its Sorento is big for a compact model. After all, the new sport utility seats up to seven occupants with third-row roominess that’s “designed to comfortably accommodate two adults”, so it’s no lightweight. This is true to Kia’s commitment to design products suited to specific markets, with the Borrego targeting North American SUV buyers who traditionally purchase larger SUVs and crossovers.

Substantive size makes Kia’s powertrain choices all the more important, so fans of the brand can take heart in the knowledge that two engine options will be available. First, a large displacement V6, most likely the 3.8-liter unit that powers the top-line Sorento, Sedona minivan, Amanti luxury sedan and various Hyundai models will make the cut, good for 250- to 264-horsepower and 253 to 260 lb-ft of torque, depending on its current application. Even more enticing, and critical being that the Borrego will be up against powerful domestic crossovers, is the option of V8 power. The engine, no doubt based off of the eight-cylinder first shown in Hyundai’s Genesis concept that’s now slated for production, is to be a sophisticated unit with four-valves per cylinder, dual-overhead camshafts and variable valve timing, optimizing power and fuel economy via a six-speed automatic transmission. This drivetrain will allow the Borrego to deliver Kia’s best towing capacity ever.

Bucking trends to build in North America, the Borrego will be manufactured in Korea with sales starting in its home market in early 2008, followed by overseas deliveries in late spring or early summer of the same year.

The Borrego will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show this coming January. Kia will make prices known closer to availability.