Kia introduces potential DogCar into crowded market
By Keith Turner
July 15, 2008
The Ford Explorer pulled up in front of the Suncadia Hotel in Cle Elum, Wash., and the family began to pour out of the sport utility vehicle. First it was mom, then two pre-teen children carrying tennis rackets and big bouncy ball.
Finally, the tailgatge was opened and out of a flexible, nylon travel crate hopped a beautiful golden retriever with a coat so shiny she nearly glowed in the mid-day sun. She was clearly happy to be free of her crated confines, and ready to run and enjoy some vacation time with her family.
As the quintessential SUV for American families, the Explorer is big enough to handle for kids, canines and all their gear (in this case a full-size crate, bicycles and lots of luggage, yet small enough be easy to maneuver through traffic and crowded parking lots.
That’s precisely the reason that Kia, the Korean automaker with mainstream American aspirations, was spending this week introducing a brand new, mid-size sport utility vehicle to the U.S. auto media. The Kia Borrego goes on sale to the American public at the end of July.
Why would anyone in their right mind introduce an SUV into a market where other automakers, including General Motors, are cutting production of the same such vehicles and laying off workers?
Because Kia believes that as long as there are families with kids, dogs and cargo, there wil be a need for vehicles with enough size to carry them all on a summer vacation. And there will be a desire to do so with all the nice accessories we’ve come to enjoy, such as navigation systems, surround sound and heated seats.
Kia says that the Borrego, which will be offered in V-6 and V-8 versions — yet still will get fuel mileage of up to 22 mpg — is such a vehicle. And with a price tag starting at under $27,000, they may be right.
The Borrego’s third row of seats fold completely flat, while the second row goes down 95 percent flat. There is plenty of air ventilation — 16 vents overall — and it is available in two or four-wheel-drive models.
So the Borrego has great potential as a DogCar. In fact, the presentation to the media contains at least two photos with dogs in them. Will it make an impact in the crowded, perhaps shrinking SUV market?
Stay tuned.
