Kia shows massive improvement with each new vehicle they release. It makes the Korean automaker's laughable past even harder to believe as time goes by. These new spyshots of Kia's new full-size SUV indicate that Kia is no longer the easy target for late-night talk show hosts. Kia unveiled the Mesa Concept at the North American International Autoshow in 2005. It showcased their attempt at the competitive, but dwindling full-size SUV segment. Kia gave the green light for production shortly after the concept's initial debut.Caught in South Korea, these new spyshots suggest that it won't be too long before Kia officially pulls the wraps off the new 'HM'. Kia has not revealed the official name of the vehicle as of yet. Kia will influence the HM's design heavily from the Mesa Concept and some of the key design cues of the concept like the horizontal-slat chrome grille seems to stay on the production version. The HM will house seven seats and will slot above the Sorento. The HM will receive a 3.0L V6 diesel in its home market while us North Americans will get the 3.8L V6, good for about 260hp. There has been talks that the HM will be the first Kia to get the 4.6L Tau V8, which will also power the upper-end trims of the Genesis. The HM will sit on a body-on-frame chassis and will be mated to a 6-speed AT.
The HM will go on sale in its domestic market around the third-quarter of the year, with North American sales proceeding early next year. Follow the jump to view more shots.
