Kia has been pretty active lately with new launches and facelifts. While the world gets its cars and SUVs, the company produces all sorts of vehicles in its home country. Take a look at the third-generation of its military truck known as the Kia Light Tactical Vehicle, or in short, KLTV. It looks very similar to the AM General Humvee, don't you think?

It’s Impressive Under The Hood

The KLTV is specially built for military activities. It’s built on a modular platform that allows for a wide variety of configurations on two wheelbase lengths. This helps the defense procurators get the setup they need. The payload capacity of the KLTV is seven tons. Seven tons!

Power is sent to all wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. In the KLTV141 spec, it can climb 60-percent gradients and can wade through water that's as much as two-and-a-half feet deep. It has a variety of other applications as well, like ferrying the troops, hauling the equipment, etc. The KLTV is like the South Korean version of the AM General Humvee.

The Market Is Bigger Than We Know

A company from Venezuela called Tiuna manufactures a vehicle called the UR-53AR50, a Russian company known as GAZ builds the Tigrm a Spaniard manufacturer offers the VAMTAC, and Italian manufacturer Iveco, once part of FCA, produces a vehicle called the Light Multirole Vehicle. Toyota used to make one called the Mega Cruiser. So, there’s no dearth of such vehicles in the market today.

Our Take

Even though it seems like a niche market, the demand for military vehicles is increasing every year. Lots of manufacturers worldwide are continuously innovating to grab orders from a country’s military. The reason for such competition is that since they’re exclusive vehicles, the profit margins are very high, and orders are always in bulk. Kia’s KLTV is a prime example of the same. The vehicle in its third generation is going strong, and the newest model looks as intimidating as ever. What are your thoughts on the KLTV? Let us know in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Kia Telluride.