Kia’s presence at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show may have centered around the next-generation Forte, but the Korean automaker also used the show to announce plans to build a production version that’s based on a concept it introduced two years ago in the same auto show. For those who don't remember, Kia bought the Telluride Concept at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Now, it says it’s moving forward with building a production version of the concept in the coming years.

I had actually forgotten about the Kia Telluride Concept until I was told that Kia’s already working on the SUV. Believe it or not, the Korean automaker apparently found enough space in its already packed crossover and SUV portfolio to include the larger-than-life Telluride in it.

Kia president and chief designer Peter Schreyer didn’t give an official timetable for the production unit, but it is expected to arrive in the next few years. According to Schreyer, the future SUV will count the US as it’s primary market, though other markets are expected to follow. This could include Russia and Australia, provided that Kia goes ahead and develops a right-hand-drive version of the SUV.

On the other hand, Kia will steer the SUV away from Europe, becoming the second model today that’s been reported as shunning the Old Continent for “business reasons.” Kia Motors Europe chief designer Gregory Guillaume broke that bit of news, mentioning that the SUV “doesn’t make much sense” in Europe because the Sorento has already shown itself to be capable of satisfying the market’s demand for a big Kia SUV.

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the production version of the Telluride Concept. Two of the most glaring concerns include the production model’s size and the kind of powertrain it’s going to carry. Remember, the Telluride showed up two years ago in Detroit with massive dimensions. It stood 4.4 inches taller than the Sorento from which it was based on. It was also 4.7 inches wider and almost a foot (9.5 inches) longer than the mid-sized SUV. In addition, the Telluride was powered by a plug-in hybrid system made up of a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine and an electric motor, allowing it to produce in excess of 400 horsepower.

Only time will tell if these figures remain, but for what it's worth, I'd be shocked if the production version of the Telluride ends up being as big as the concept. That thing was huge.

References

Read our full review on the 2016 Kia Telluride Concept.

Read more Kia news.