This Is Not A New Humvee, But Kia’s Upcoming Mohave-Based Military Vehicle

When it comes to military all-terrain vehicles (ATV), the Humvee is probably the most famous of them all. However, similar hardcore off-road trucks can be found around the world, and Kia is one of the companies making them.

Two years ago, they presented the KLTV (Kia Light Tactical Vehicle), and are now looking to modernize the range with a new machine, based on the bare chassis of the Mohave SUV. Prototypes will be introduced on the road early next year, and the final production version will also be used in other fields, including industrial and leisure sectors.

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This is part of the Korean carmaker’s plan to develop a new standard platform for the next-gen military vehicles. The project is the result of a joint investment by Kia and the Korean military, and will replace the 2.5- and 5-ton vehicles currently in operation locally, and develop new 5-ton bulletproof vehicles. These will feature high-torque 7.0-liter diesel engines, automatic transmissions, ABS, ASR and equipment normally found in passenger cars, such as sat-nav, around view monitor and rear parking assist.

Besides the traditional oil-burning units that will power their next-gen military vehicles, Kia is also exploring the potential of hydrogen across different military applications, including emergency power generators and fuel cell vehicles. The technology is seen as suitable for such machines as it can supply generous amounts of electricity in combat zones.

Kia is no stranger to this field, as they have been making vehicles for the local and overseas armies for a few decades now. The range includes 0.25-, 1.25-, 2.5- and 5-ton vehicles, and to date, they have supplied 9 different model types and 100 derivatives, producing 140,000 military vehicles in total.