Kia Mohave

Kia introduced the Mohave at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, branding it Borrego outside its home country. Built on the body-on-frame platform also used for the Hyundai Veracruz, it offered seating for seven and optional V8 power—rare in the brand’s portfolio at the time. The Borrego name references California’s Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, tying the vehicle to an outdoors-ready image.

In North America and most global markets, the model was quietly phased out after 2011 as rising fuel costs shifted consumer preference to unibody crossovers. In South Korea, however, the Mohave continued production, updated in 2019 with new styling and tech, giving Korean buyers a larger, truck-style counterpart to the popular Kia Sorento.

With a length of 4,879 mm, width of 1,915 mm and height of 1,811 mm, the Mohave/Borrego dwarfs contemporary Sorento models. Classic upright proportions, slab sides and minimal plastic cladding emphasized its body-on-frame roots. Short overhangs and available 18-inch wheels underscored off-road pretensions, while a clear tailgate-line and prominent Kia badging aligned the vehicle with the brand’s 2008 design language.

Though short-lived abroad, the single-generation Kia Mohave/Borrego pioneered V8 availability and rear-wheel-drive architecture for the marque, elements later echoed—if not replicated—in the Telluride. Modern Mohaves sold in Korea retain the original 2008 build-and-pricing strategy, offering a low-volume, ladder-frame choice in an otherwise monocoque SUV lineup.