The 2016 Absolute Mohave Is Kia's Tough New Luxury SUV

Kia's Hwasung Plant has been cranking out the Mohave since 2008. It's big, it's tough, it's a Korean version of the Toyota Land Cruiser. We also hear that it's quite popular in Russia, where it's manufactured locally. That has nothing to do with the fact that a new Mohave was launched in its home market under the name "New Absolute Mohave."

Kia may say that it's an entirely different car, but we see it as a major facelift. Regardless, real off-road vehicles don't need fancy body designs, as they are made to cope with the Himalayan hills, not Beverly Hills. The Absolute seems to be Kia's version of the Genesis program, as it features a unique badge and upmarket interior.

At the core of the project is a new 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine that will deliver more grunt and better fuel economy. It's rated at 260 horsepower and 256 lb-ft of torque (347 Nm). Furthermore, the Mohave has an 8-speed automatic transmission that makes the most of the low-end torque arriving at 1,500rpm. Thanks to a cleverer AWD system, the Mohave achieves an impressive 10.7 kilometers to one liter of fuel or 9.3 l/100km. For now, we haven't been able to find any data on the V8 engines, since they are not available in Korea.

Design-wise, the cosmetic procedure involves new HID headlight projectors, LED daytime running lights placed next to the fog lights and new LED taillights. We also see revisions to the bumpers and side steps.

Of course, convenience and safety features have been added too. Despite the retro interior covered in wood, we see ventilation for the seats and blind spot monitoring. The 2016 Mohave also has four cameras to give you a bird's-eye view when parking, lane keep assist, hills start assist, forward collision warning, ESC and curtain airbags.

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Kia to introduce facelifted Mohave SUV next month

The face-lifted version of Kia Motors’ sleeper-hit sports utility vehicle, the Mohave, will return to the market in February after a six month-hiatus in production. The Mohave is marketed as the Borrego in North America.

According to market reports, the new Mohave will be adjusted with a selective catalytic reduction device attached to its signature V6 3.0 liter-engine in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus meeting the tightened Euro 6 emission regulations.

It will also have a new look, with an upgraded radiator grille, new tail lamps, bumpers, alloy wheels and other features. Several safety features, such as lane detection, rear collision warnings and an around-view system will be added while cruise control, electronic control air suspension and other features will be removed to minimize their impact on pricing.

Many market insiders note that the new Mohave has been one of the most anticipated models of the year, due to the ever-growing popularity of SUVs and Mohave’s unusually large size in the sector.

As known as “Chung Eui-sun car” thanks to the incumbent Hyundai Motor Group vice chairman Chung Eui-sun’s robust investment and enthusiasm for creating a powerful SUV, Mohave sales stayed low in the year after it was launched in 2008 but slowly grew to mark 8,401 units between Jan. and Aug. 2014, without special promotions or discounts.

“While many SUVs have chosen a monocoque body type in order to reduce weight, the Mohave goes with the body-on-frame construction, which is considered traditional and steadier. Many men seeking for toughness in design also welcome the boxy design, which has contributed to the steady sales,” a Kia insider said.

“Also its secondhand price holds up well, around 60 percent of the original price even for the oldest car. This is considered as a good investment,” he added.

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