Kia Borrego? We Hardly Knew You!

The Kia Borrego drives off into the sunset....

Talk about poor timing: Kia Motors introduced its premium Borrego sport/utility vehicle in August 2008 about the same time gas prices peeked and just before automotive sales dropped following the stock market collapse that fall. Because the Borrego appeared when it should not have, Kia appears ready to make its 2009 model year release one and done.

According to Marty Padgett of TheCarConnection.com, Kia will not be offering the Borrego for the 2010 model year. Those details come just as the new year arrives, with nothing but 2009 Borregos still on Kia lots. To date, Kia has sold less than half of the 20,000 Borregos it had expected to sell annually.

A Temporary Break?

Though Kia is discontinuing the Borrego stateside, sales are strong in Korea where the SUV is known as the Mohave. Moreover, Kia is not killing the Borrego entirely, rather the automaker is taking a wait and see approach when it comes to the US market. Perhaps if the US market recovers sufficiently and demand for SUVs with it, then the Borrego may make a return.

Kia has been on a roll all year, with sales up year over year compared to 2008. That puts Kia in a category shared by its Korean partner, Hyundai, and Subaru as being the only automakers who will record a sales increase for 2009. The 2009 sales period officially draws to an end close of business on January 4.

A New Image

The Borrego represented a clear departure for Kia when it was released in 2008. TheCarConnection.com and others gave the vehicle high marks, in a category long dominated by the likes of the Jeep Gran Cherokee and Ford Explorer. The Borrego was seen by some as a clear attempt by Kia to expand its image, from a maker of mass produced economy cars to one that could also produce premium models.

Not unlike Hyundai, which has found success with its Genesis line, the Borrego has bolstered Kia’s image. That image was enhanced in 2009 with the introduction of the boxy Soul as well as the Forte sedan and coupe models.