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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,

New 2009 Kia Borrego will seat seven adults comfortably. (Photo: Kia)

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 4x4. 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

Body-on-frame design, V8-power and true 4x4 capability will set Borrego apart from SUV pretenders. (Photo: Kia)

to design products suited to specific markets, with the Borrego targeting North American SUV buyers who traditionally purchase larger SUVs and crossovers.

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