Kia Pregio Reviews

Kia could be working on a new ute.Hot on the heels of the recent Tasman dual-cab ute launch, the South Korean maker could have another ute in the works.The big reason for this? The US.The Tasman is unlikely to be sold in the US due to crippling tariffs, but the brand still wants and needs a ute to sell in one of the company’s largest markets.Sister brand Hyundai has already confirmed it is developing a ute, which is unlikely to be based on the current Tasman.This opens the door to a completely new workhorse developed by Hyundai but spawning a new Kia ute.Digital artist @Theottle on YouTube has crafted some new renders to show what a potential Telluride-styled pick-up truck could look like.The Telluride is Kia’s big SUV, which is a smash hit in the US, but isn’t sold in Australia.The renderings borrow the front end styling from the new large SUV, which give it a nice boxy silhouette paired with a large front grille and huge vertical headlights.There is no clunky side cladding or oddly shaped headlights and grille, which have led to many dumping on the current Tasman styling.It is likely any other Kia ute would be aimed at the US market, so it should use petrol or hybrid power rather than diesel grunt preferred by Australians.The new Kia ute had initially been expected to be a fully electric workhorse, but waning demand for battery powered utes globally, and especially in the US, forced the company to ditch their plans.Kia isn’t alone in ditching its large EV ute plans, with Ford, GM and Ram all ditching the idea in the short term.There is a chance the new Kia ute could be a large American-style pick-up, but it is more likely to be a mid-size ute in a similar vein to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.The Kia Tasman already fills that space in Australia, and it has the potential to add hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even electric power in the future, which likely cancels it out for Down Under.We will more likely see this ute wearing a Hyundai badge.Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano has vowed to have a ute here before the end of 2028.“ My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano told CarsGuide late last year.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.“I just think when you come out with a ute, you know, you can't come out with the same thing. You've got to look at the best vehicles in the market, the best utes in the market, who are the two biggest players. We all know who they are and that's who you have to position yourself with. But you have to bring in some new technology, because a lot of that technology they're using has been there for a while.”

Kia Australia says it will buck the established automaker trend in 2026, forecasting a sales boost in 2026 even as new Chinese brands continue to decimate existing carmakers in our market.If successful, a sales increase would put Kia in rare air in Australia, where most established players are feeling the sales pinch as Australian buyers shift their preferences to Chinese brands.But Kia says it has the product portfolio and the powertrain diversity to keep China at bay and continue to grow its footprint in Australia, with the Tasman ute, K4 small car and its EV range driving the growth."I think we have the foundation for growth because we've got the product range. It's the product portfolio that's really driving it," says Kia Australia COO, Dennis Piccoli."We've invested a fair bit over the last few years, in terms of building brand and focusing the network on customer service and facilities and training and what have you."But we have the breadth of product, whether it's ICE or hybrid or diesel or EV. There are plenty of opportunities for us to grow. K4 will deliver growth next year. Tasman will deliver growth next year. EVs, we'd like to sell a few more of those as well."So there are plenty of opportunities that we have that potentially other brands may struggle with."Leading that charge, Kia says, will be a rash of new products, but critical will also be the Kia Tasman getting closer to its forecast numbers of 20,000 sales per annum.That is still the target, says Kia. Though the brand concedes it will take longer than first thought. "Overall, sales-wise, would we like to be doing more? Absolutely. Aspirationally, we'd like to get it to 20,000, but that's going to take time. It's not a switch. It's not going to happen overnight," Mr Piccoli says."We can see where the opportunities are in terms of various segments of market, whether it's geographically or various buyers."Critical to the ute's success will be its ability to crack Australia's competitive fleet market, with Kia targeting close to 50 per cent sales volumes through fleets. One thing not expected to change, though, is pricing."I think the challenge we've got right is that, if you look at what we're selling, it is all the high-series stuff. You get that with all the early adopters and all that sort of business," Mr Piccoli says."It's that sub-$60k which we're not really getting a hold of. If we have a look at what everybody else is selling, that's where they're at. That's what they're selling."When we generate some additional fleet volume with those variants and it complements what we're selling at the moment, then we're well and truly on track."

Kia only just revealed the production version of its EV2 light SUV, but it could soon be announcing details of something even smaller.As reported by Autocar, the South Korean carmaker is still continuing to study the possibility of a Picanto-sized electric vehicle (EV), likely to be dubbed EV1.“The whole industry is looking at how they make EVs more accessible. Of course we're doing that as well,” said Kia Europe Marketing Director David Hilbert to Autocar at the reveal of the Kia EV2.“We will continue to look at where the opportunities are and, obviously, it's called EV2 for a reason.“Longer-term, we continue to study the A-segment. Picanto is still an important model for us, and we continue to have a very important volume from that.”Last year Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song told Autocar it’s doing its “homework” on an EV with a starting price under €25,000 (~A$43,300) to rival the likes of the forthcoming Renault Twingo and Volkswagen ID.1 city cars in Europe.If the EV1 does come to fruition it will likely go into production before the end of the decade.Hilbert’s comments also hint at this potential electric model being offered alongside the Picanto light hatchback. The current model dates back to 2017 and has now received two facelifts so it’s unclear whether a new-generation model is also in the works.At this stage it’s unclear whether Kia is pitching the EV1 as a European-only model or if it’ll be offered in its home market or other export markets, like Australia.Initially the Kia EV2 was alluded to as a European-only model, however it’s set to come to Australia in the second half of 2026.It’s produced at Kia’s Slovakian facility alongside the EV4, which is set to launch imminently in Australia in both sedan and hatchback body styles.If Kia does decide to bring the EV1 to Australia it will come up against stiff competition. BYD has just launched its new, entry-level Atto 1 electric hatchback which starts at $23,990 before on-roads, plus MG is soon launching the new, entry-level MG4 Urban.

Uptake of electric vehicles stepped up again in 2025.

Sales of light passenger cars in Australia have slowly been dipping further and further over the years but an unlikely new entrant may turn this around.Last year China’s BYD announced the pricing for its new entry-level Atto 1 electric hatchback. With a mind-blowing starting price of $23,990 before on-roads, it’s the cheapest new electric vehicle (EV) in Australia by a strong margin.The BYD Atto 1, despite being an EV, undercuts many similarly sized petrol hatchbacks in terms of entry asking price. Examples include the Mazda 2, MG3, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris.One of the few cars that undercuts the Atto 1’s competitive starting price is the Kia Picanto, which is still Australia’s cheapest new car. It starts from $19,190 before on-road costs.During 2025 a total of 7166 examples of the Picanto were sold, which is up 23.1 per cent year-on-year.Despite being the cheapest new vehicle in Australia, it’s not the best-selling light passenger car. This crown goes to the MG3, which currently starts from $21,888 drive-away. A total of 8350 examples were sold last year, though this is technically down 33.5 per cent year-on-year.There are clearly still many Australians looking at the budget end of the new car market to make a purchase, especially as cost of living crunches.Many carmakers are now finding it hard to sell such a car profitably while still packaging all the required safety equipment and meeting tightening emission standards.This is where EVs like the BYD Atto 1 could thrive as they don’t emit any CO2 tailpipe emissions.In terms of other small-to-light EV hatchbacks that are due to launch locally over the next 12 months or so, MG has confirmed it’s introducing its new, city-focused MG4 Urban, plus Leapmotor is launching the B05 electric hatchback in the second half of 2026.Many Australians now prefer SUVs over small hatchbacks and sedans.SUV sales in Australia have been going from strength to strength for years now and there are plenty of budget offerings that in some cases are cheaper than hatchbacks and offer more space.Examples include the Chery Tiggo 4, GWM Haval Jolion and Mahindra XUV3XO which all start at $23,990 drive-away.Around the same time BYD announced the Atto 1 electric hatchback for Australia, it also confirmed it’s introducing the Atto 2 small electric SUV locally.It’s priced from $31,990 before on-road costs, which makes it Australia’s cheapest electric SUV though it’s still $8000 more than the overall cheapest SUV.There are plenty of other budget-oriented electric SUVs available including the Hyundai Inster which currently starts at $35,990 drive-away thanks to an offer, as well as the Chery E5 and Leapmotor B10 which both currently start at $38,990 drive-away.

Kia has tacked on an exciting announcement to the global reveal of its EV2 electric car — GT versions of three of its other EVs.The 2027 Kia EV3, EV4 Hatchback and EV5 will all have full-fledged GT variants by early 2027, with the brand confirming some headline specs and information along with the reveal of the new Kia EV2.With all three of those EV models (3, 4, 5) already or soon to be sold in Australia, and GT production to kick off in the second half of 2026, we could see the hot versions of those EVs land by the start of 2027, joining the Kia EV6 GT and EV9 GT.Full details of the three new GT models are light, with Kia only having revealed the drivetrain set-ups and some performance features of each, as well as the outputs of the EV3 and EV4 GTs.The smaller two of the trio will both use 215kW all-wheel drive dual-motor setups, while the EV5 GT will be AWD without a confirmed output just yet.The EV3 GT small SUV will score electronically controlled suspension, sporty ‘almost’ bucket seats, new ambient lighting and GT-specific design cues of course. It’ll run an 81.4-kWh battery, though Kia hasn’t confirmed a driving range yet.The EV4 GT looks to be getting more in terms of driver-focused additions, with a ‘GT’ driving mode, performance tyres, 20-inch wheels and a virtual gear shifter, likely similar to the system used in sibling brand Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and 6 N. It’ll use the same battery and drivetrain as the EV3 GT.While the increased outputs of the EV5 GT are yet to be confirmed, the mid-size SUV will gain GT-specific chassis tuning with electronically controlled suspension and a road-preview function, as well as GT-specific design elements inside and out. “Our new electric Kia GT models prove that electrification can be emotional and resolute,” said Soohang Chang, President and CEO of Kia Europe. “The EV3 GT, EV4 GT, and EV5 GT will deliver an engaging, confidence-inspiring drive, combining the instant responsiveness of electric power with sporty character and all-purpose capability.“These GTs are crafted for those who seek the best of both worlds: excitement while embracing a future of responsible mobility.”

Kia has officially unveiled its EV2 all-electric compact SUV at the Brussels Motor Show. The Oz-bound EV2 will launch in the second quarter of 2026, and could be Kia’s cheapest EV Down Under.It will take on the likes of the BYD Dolphin, starting from $29,900 (before on-road costs) and the GWM Ora, which starts from $35,990 (before on-roads).There has been no official indication on price just yet, but the EV2 should come in cheaper than the EV3 that starts from $47,600 (before on-roads).The brand provided several details at the recent launch to give us an idea of how the EV2 will shape up.The EV2 keeps many of the design elements on the bigger EV3, featuring a petite exterior. Measuring at 4060mm long, it is shorter than the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora.It will come with two battery options: standard-range and long-range. The base model standard-range has a 42kWh battery with a driving range of 317km, according to testing done under WLTP cycle conditions. It can DC fast charge from 10-80 per cent in under half-an-hour.The long-range variant has a 61kWh battery, which extends the range 448km (WLTP) and it can fast charge from 10-80 per cent in 30 minutes. This means the EV2 will have a similar driving range to its rivals in the compact SUV market. The car will have a panoramic multimedia display consisting of a 12.3-inch digital driver display, 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a 5.0-inch climate panel.The car can be fitted with sliding and reclining second row seats, which boosts storage capacity to 403L when fully forward, but reduces seating capacity from five to four.Following the standard range launch, Kia said we can expect the long-range and a fully loaded GT line variant to launch throughout the year.An official release date for Australia will be announced closer to the start of sales.

The Australian new car market is going through one of its biggest changes to date.A wave of budget-focused Chinese brands has washed over the market in the past two years, eating away into the sales of many established carmakers.The emergence of new technologies such as hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles will change the cars we drive forever.Despite that, some things have stayed the same. Diesel-powered utes and 4WDs are the dominant force in Aussie motoring, but new models are snapping at their heels.Here are the best selling 100 vehicles in Australia during the past year.

A new electric compact SUV is getting closer.

The only constant is change – a smart person once said that.