Here’s a big number: 7,500 pounds. While you might not be one to tow anything that weighs as much as two V8 BMW M3s combined, we’ve recently seen a towing lifestyle boom in America. From camper demand outstripping supply to the point that corners are frequently being cut, to a new generation coming into their boat-owning era, people are getting toys and will need to tow them. However, if you only have space for a used midsize SUV as a tow vehicle, you could find yourself in a bit of a pickle. Most won’t tow 7,500 pounds, and while Range Rovers and Porsche Cayennes meet that goal and some Mercedes-Benz MLs come close, not all of them can accept 750 pounds of tongue weight, and do you really want to deal with European luxury SUV complexity? However, there’s one cheap secondhand savior that should meet these demanding requirements. It’s the Kia Borrego, the midsize body-on-frame SUV you forgot about.
Welcome back to Beige Cars You’re Sleeping On, a weekly series in which we raise the profile of some quiet greats. We’re talking vehicles that are secretly awesome, but go unsung because of either a boring image or the lack of an image altogether.
The Borrego might not be the only body-on-frame SUV that Kia sold in America (the original Sportage says hello), but it was certainly the biggest, packing three rows of seats into 192.1 inches of 4×4. It was a big leap for a brand that still sold the Spectra, so perhaps unsurprisingly, it also featured some reasonably upscale appointments. We’re talking about heated leather seats, GPS navigation, push-to-start, power-adjustable pedals, and even a power-adjustable steering column. However, the real party piece of the Borrego was up to 7,500 pounds of towing capacity with the V8.
There’s a lot to unpack there, so let’s get at it. While most of these SUVs were equipped with a perfectly cromulent 3.8-liter V6 endowing them with 5,000 pounds of towing capacity, the 337-horsepower 4.6-liter Tau V8 cranked towing capacity up to 7,500 pounds and maximum tongue weight up to 750 pounds, pushing the Borrego beyond BMW X5 territory and into the race car-hauling echelon. Sure, it can also tow a boat, but we often think in race cars around here. Backing either engine up was a six-speed automatic transmission, and buyers could option full-time four-wheel-drive.
It was a tempting mix on paper, and reasonably competent in the real world, but the Borrego had one major demerit. See, while it was being developed, the market was shifting away from hardcore body-on-frame SUVs towards crossovers. Kia attempted to bridge the gap with some starchy suspenders, but that had a side effect eloquently described by Car And Driver.
The Borrego—the truck, not the fault—suffers its own tremors, induced by everything from large rocks to hairline pavement cracks. Kia endowed the Borrego with carlike handling, quick steering, and restrained body lean but, in doing so, stiffened the suspension to the point of distraction. Granite slabs bend (as we saw in one cut in a canyon wall where the rock layers had been deformed by tectonic pressure into a perfect horseshoe), but the Kia’s springs do not.
However, as Car And Driver noted, the firm ride is a tradeoff for on-road handling. It produced the best skidpad and lane-change numbers in that comparison test, and once you got the Borrego out on the highway, it began to show interesting merit. As Motor Trend noted:
As assistant Web producer Scott Evans explained, “The Borrego is a perfectly capable but utterly unremarkable vehicle. It went 1000 miles with nary a hiccup and was a pleasant long-haul cruiser. The engine has good power and the SUV handles surprisingly well for its size. Every time I walked away from it, though, I completely forgot about the drive because it was entirely uninteresting.”
If you’re routinely doing huge distances, a vehicle being uninteresting is actually a huge plus. Too many rides wear out their welcome after hundreds of monotonous interstate miles, be it due to noise, subpar seats, or a driving position that just isn’t conducive to ergonomic comfort. Not the Borrego, though. It was tailor-made for American use, but it launched at precisely the wrong time.
Coming out in 2008 for the 2009 model year, the Borrego had two things going against it that had nothing to do with direct competition — stratospheric gas prices and a crippling global recession. Back in July 2008, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline hit $4.114, devastating the body-on-frame SUV market. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to $6 a gallon. Ouch. At the same time, Wall Street was going tits-up, and everyone was losing their jobs. Suddenly, the McMansion dream of a boat towed behind a big SUV was dead, and this had wide-reaching consequences.
At the same time, many mainstream automakers were gearing up for their next generation of SUVs to go unibody. Think Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango, and you’re on the right track. It all added up to disappointing sales results for the Borrego. From the launch in late 2008 to the clearout of leftover inventory in 2011, Kia only sold 22,663 Borregos in America. While that sounds like a dandy number, Toyota sold 47,878 4Runners in 2008 alone. The Borrego was simply born too slow to have a brace of body-on-frame competitors, and it vanished off the map after 2010, when Kia pulled the plug on the model in America. However, that doesn’t mean that Kia gave up on it completely, because the Borrego is still being sold in Korea. Huh?
Yes, this body-on-frame beast kept soldiering on in its home market, gradually accruing updates over the past 14 years. Sure, it may have dropped the V8 long ago, but it’s since picked up revised styling, a new interior that looks genuinely luxurious, a Lexicon sound system, and all the modern amenities imaginable from ventilated second-row seats upholstered in quilted Nappa leather to a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems. Granted, this SUV is called the Mohave in Korea, a name that wouldn’t fly in North America for obvious reasons, but if you’re in the right country, you can still walk into a Kia dealership and buy one. How about that?
These days, the Borrego represents one heck of a towing deal. Want what might be the nicest one in the country, a fully-loaded two-wheel-drive V8 Limited model with just 57,991 miles on the clock? Here it is for $9,998, up for sale at a Kia dealership in Hurst, Texas. That’s part of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, for anyone who isn’t a local.
Don’t need a concours-grade Borrego? Me neither, and that just means pricing goes down from there. Here’s a V8 Limited model up for sale in Minnesota for $7,995, and it seems pretty alright. Sure, it has nearly 130,000 miles on the clock, but it’s a V8 tow rig with a 7,500-pound towing capacity that doesn’t feature the complexity of a European luxury machine. That’s worth something on its own right there.
So, the Kia Borrego may be anonymous and have a flinty ride, but it’s also rare, shockingly capable, reasonably reliable, and properly interesting. It was simply planned and launched at the wrong time, just as everyone was transitioning to crossovers and the rug was pulled out from underneath the American people. The next time you see one of these while you’re walking down the street, open up your camera app, because who knows when you’ll see another?
(Photo credits: Kia, Autotrader seller, Craigslist seller)
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Maybe I am daft, but the reasons are not obvious to me. Because it shares a name with a military helicopter? Or because it is the name of an indigenous tribe? The latter sure never stopped Jeep…or VW, for that matter, but I guess it’s different when the tribe is in a different country…
Jeep is stubborn about it, the actual Cherokee Nation has been asking Jeep to change the name of the car for at least a decade. I don’t think it would fly on a new car.
The Jeep Cherokee name is dying. Again.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/jeep-cherokee-discontinued/
Regular Cherokee, yes. Grand Cherokee, no. And they’ve both got the same problem.
Although I am aware of the Mohave people, I think of the Mojave Desert, which is of course named after them.
Not sure when the last time I saw one of these but I thought they looked half decent when they came out. Regarding tow ratings, wouldn’t the GMT900 Tahoes and Suburbans have easily towed 7500lbs?
Not sure when the last time I saw one of these but I thought they looked half decent when they came out. Regarding tow ratings, wouldn’t the GMT900 Tahoes and Suburbans have easily towed 7500lbs?
“It’s the Kia Borrego, the midsize body-on-frame SUV you forgot about.” No way; I haven’t forgotten about it! That’s the guy who did “Mambo No. 5” back in ’99, right?
and now I’ve been earwormed
That would be Lou Bega, and now I will have this song in my head for at least 24 hours.
“It’s the Kia Borrego, the midsize body-on-frame SUV you forgot about.” No way; I haven’t forgotten about it! That’s the guy who did “Mambo No. 5” back in ’99, right?
and now I’ve been earwormed
That would be Lou Bega, and now I will have this song in my head for at least 24 hours.
I was living in the upper Midwest when these came out, and unfortunately saw them rust pretty quickly – like you would see rust spots on two year old ones routinely (as routinely as I saw one, anyway). Interesting vehicles, but the one person I knew with one gave up on it before the warranty was up because of the rust and it going through wheel bearings like mad.
I was living in the upper Midwest when these came out, and unfortunately saw them rust pretty quickly – like you would see rust spots on two year old ones routinely (as routinely as I saw one, anyway). Interesting vehicles, but the one person I knew with one gave up on it before the warranty was up because of the rust and it going through wheel bearings like mad.
Forgot to mention, the V6 was paired to a 5-speed automatic and the V8 got the ZF 6-speed.
Forgot to mention, the V6 was paired to a 5-speed automatic and the V8 got the ZF 6-speed.
Wasn’t there a stick shift version of this SUV? One of the first few days into interning while going to college, I was told to bring in a big Hyundai SUV and when I looked in it, I saw a shifter that had 1-6 and R on it.
It was the strangest thing. It wasn’t small at all: it was comparable to the Grand Cherokee/Durango….
No stick in these, but you could get a Sorrento with the V6/5-speed around this time. I believe it was the last V6/manual mid-sized 4-door CUV offered in the States.
The first-gen BMW X3 could be had with a straight 6 and a 6-speed manual all the way through 2010, and yes those were sold in the US, though they are quite uncommon.
Oh it absolutely was, that’s why I said V6 ;). And actually it might’ve been the Santa Fe (not the Sorento) with the 2.7l/5-speed combo for the 2nd generation (~’10). Sante Fe/Sorento had I4s+6-speeds through ~’12 for that generation.
Wasn’t there a stick shift version of this SUV? One of the first few days into interning while going to college, I was told to bring in a big Hyundai SUV and when I looked in it, I saw a shifter that had 1-6 and R on it.
It was the strangest thing. It wasn’t small at all: it was comparable to the Grand Cherokee/Durango….
No stick in these, but you could get a Sorrento with the V6/5-speed around this time. I believe it was the last V6/manual mid-sized 4-door CUV offered in the States.
The first-gen BMW X3 could be had with a straight 6 and a 6-speed manual all the way through 2010, and yes those were sold in the US, though they are quite uncommon.
Oh it absolutely was, that’s why I said V6 ;). And actually it might’ve been the Santa Fe (not the Sorento) with the 2.7l/5-speed combo for the 2nd generation (~’10). Sante Fe/Sorento had I4s+6-speeds through ~’12 for that generation.
My Aunt had an orange one of these. It got caught in a Colorado hailstorm at some point and looked fairly rough.She kept driving it for a long time after that though. I had no idea they were so few sold. I also see one at the gas station nearly every morning, it’s in pretty rough shape.
My Aunt had an orange one of these. It got caught in a Colorado hailstorm at some point and looked fairly rough.She kept driving it for a long time after that though. I had no idea they were so few sold. I also see one at the gas station nearly every morning, it’s in pretty rough shape.
Oh man I remember the print ads for these. They had the front on the car with the grille badge removed and offered a bunch of badge options before telling you it was a Kia
Oh man I remember the print ads for these. They had the front on the car with the grille badge removed and offered a bunch of badge options before telling you it was a Kia
These are way cool. De-badged and with a Flowmaster 40 series, this could confuse some folks like ‘Wow, WTF is that thing!?’
These are way cool. De-badged and with a Flowmaster 40 series, this could confuse some folks like ‘Wow, WTF is that thing!?’
I seriously considered the Borrego last year when on the car hunt, got to test drive a super rusty one a couple years ago too. Wanted just a touch more off-road capability and this fit the bill.
It’s rarity pretty much torpedoed my plan but it was looking pretty good to me. I’m sure still being in production helps but I’m not sure if it’d be a sure bet for me over say, a 2009-2012 Pathfinder.
Independent rear suspension meant a fold-flat third-row and I didn’t expect to need the articulation of a solid axle. The second row folds like any other crossover today so no flip-up seat-bottoms like the era’s Pathfinder (and others) and no reduced vertical-space like in the 5th-gen three-row 4Runner. The Explorer did come up but I was wary especially with it’s worse fuel economy.
Heard they’re reasonably stout, coming out before Kia’s styling renaissance that came with trouble like their GDI issues and stupid anti-theft cost-cutting.
I still see one on occasion, saw a copper one just yesterday actually.
I wanted the option of auto/full-time 4WD in whatever I purchased but heard it had issues in the first-gen Sorento – not sure if the clutch-based system was shared. Still annoyed the torsen center was pulled from lower trim 4Runner’s with the 5th gen – I don’t fit in 5th gens with sunroofs.
Fun fact, technically there were less 2009 4Runner’s were made than 2009 Borrego’s – at least in the US.
There’s a copper one in my area, too! And I think I saw a silver one a couple months ago. I was all “HOLY CRAP!!! ANOTHER BORREGO?!?”
“Fun fact, technically there were less 2009 4Runner’s were made than 2009 Borrego’s – at least in the US.”
That’s not a fact at all! First, neither model were/are made in the US. Second, US 2009 sales figures: ~19.5K 4Runners vs. ~9.5K Borregos.
I went back hunting for where I got the numbers.
First, yes I know about their construction, it was my ambiguous wording but I am referring to sales, not production in the US.
I think the mixup here is between year and model year. Kia thinks there were 22,700 units made for the US and it was only available for the 2009MY. The remaining 68 being spread out between 2010 and 2014 in territories apparently.
https://jalopnik.com/remember-the-kia-borrego-it-s-being-recalled-1850945436
So a corrected statement would likely being that technically, there were more 2009MY Borrego’s sold in the US over the 2009MY 4Runner.
Ahh I get your take. However, can you break down 4Runner 4G #s for 2010 in the same way? Provide the data to show there were no carryover 2009MY 4Runners in 2010, else it’s just speculation not facts.
I don’t think it really counts that you built more than the market wanted and then get the claim of “we sold more”. It took them 3 years to sell less models total than what Toyota was selling.
I seriously considered the Borrego last year when on the car hunt, got to test drive a super rusty one a couple years ago too. Wanted just a touch more off-road capability and this fit the bill.
It’s rarity pretty much torpedoed my plan but it was looking pretty good to me. I’m sure still being in production helps but I’m not sure if it’d be a sure bet for me over say, a 2009-2012 Pathfinder.
Independent rear suspension meant a fold-flat third-row and I didn’t expect to need the articulation of a solid axle. The second row folds like any other crossover today so no flip-up seat-bottoms like the era’s Pathfinder (and others) and no reduced vertical-space like in the 5th-gen three-row 4Runner. The Explorer did come up but I was wary especially with it’s worse fuel economy.
Heard they’re reasonably stout, coming out before Kia’s styling renaissance that came with trouble like their GDI issues and stupid anti-theft cost-cutting.
I still see one on occasion, saw a copper one just yesterday actually.
I wanted the option of auto/full-time 4WD in whatever I purchased but heard it had issues in the first-gen Sorento – not sure if the clutch-based system was shared. Still annoyed the torsen center was pulled from lower trim 4Runner’s with the 5th gen – I don’t fit in 5th gens with sunroofs.
Fun fact, technically there were less 2009 4Runner’s were made than 2009 Borrego’s – at least in the US.
There’s a copper one in my area, too! And I think I saw a silver one a couple months ago. I was all “HOLY CRAP!!! ANOTHER BORREGO?!?”
“Fun fact, technically there were less 2009 4Runner’s were made than 2009 Borrego’s – at least in the US.”
That’s not a fact at all! First, neither model were/are made in the US. Second, US 2009 sales figures: ~19.5K 4Runners vs. ~9.5K Borregos.
I went back hunting for where I got the numbers.
First, yes I know about their construction, it was my ambiguous wording but I am referring to sales, not production in the US.
I think the mixup here is between year and model year. Kia thinks there were 22,700 units made for the US and it was only available for the 2009MY. The remaining 68 being spread out between 2010 and 2014 in territories apparently.
https://jalopnik.com/remember-the-kia-borrego-it-s-being-recalled-1850945436
So a corrected statement would likely being that technically, there were more 2009MY Borrego’s sold in the US over the 2009MY 4Runner.
Every time I see a Kia Borrego I say “holy shit a Kia Borrego!”
Right up there with “Good Lord, a Chrysler Aspen!”
Along with, “By Jove, a Suzuki Kizashi!”
All three of these…accurate lol
Indeed they are. It’s eerie how much folks on this site are inside my head…
Um, we are all voices in your head.
That is how reading works for me, anyways.
Hahahaha! Touché, sir. Touché.
Gotta add “By golly, that’s a Mini Paceman!”
Lincoln Blackwood like the one I saw yesterday.
Same with the Hyundai Veracruz
Every time I see a Kia Borrego I say “holy shit a Kia Borrego!”
Right up there with “Good Lord, a Chrysler Aspen!”
Along with, “By Jove, a Suzuki Kizashi!”
All three of these…accurate lol
Indeed they are. It’s eerie how much folks on this site are inside my head…
Um, we are all voices in your head.
That is how reading works for me, anyways.
Hahahaha! Touché, sir. Touché.
Gotta add “By golly, that’s a Mini Paceman!”
Lincoln Blackwood like the one I saw yesterday.
Same with the Hyundai Veracruz
I like the Borrego more than I should.
It’s also funny how they still make it even though they haven’t sold it over here for over 10 years.
I see a couple orange Borregos nearby that people still drive around and shit, so that’s something. Kia has some success with the cool colors (see also: the green Souls)
Thanks for the shout out, drive one daily and love the little snot colored box!
I had one of these, a 2012 ! model in Alien Green with the houndstooth black and white seats.
It was amazing. Ran perfectly and drove that way too all the way to 98k miles.
I just needed something bigger when I sold it. But it definitely is in the Hall of Fame for best vehicles I have owned.
I like the Borrego more than I should.
It’s also funny how they still make it even though they haven’t sold it over here for over 10 years.
I see a couple orange Borregos nearby that people still drive around and shit, so that’s something. Kia has some success with the cool colors (see also: the green Souls)
Thanks for the shout out, drive one daily and love the little snot colored box!
I had one of these, a 2012 ! model in Alien Green with the houndstooth black and white seats.
It was amazing. Ran perfectly and drove that way too all the way to 98k miles.
I just needed something bigger when I sold it. But it definitely is in the Hall of Fame for best vehicles I have owned.
Wasn’t there a Hyundai version of this platform as well? Veracruz?
Interesting that they still sell it with that updated front end. Its like a Kia Land Cruiser Prado/Lexus GX. Wonder if they’ve ever thought of bringing it back to the states.
Nope, the Veracruz was a crossover and I believe Hyundai has not sold any body-on-frame vehicle in the US.
The Veracruz was not a rebadged Borrego. It was a FWD crossover
Got it. Guess I mixed them up/assumed they were related since it was around the same time and both looked pretty bland.
I had the exact same thought, this seems to have evolved into a nice Prado/GX competitor. (But significantly less expensive, I’d wager.)
Wasn’t there a Hyundai version of this platform as well? Veracruz?
Interesting that they still sell it with that updated front end. Its like a Kia Land Cruiser Prado/Lexus GX. Wonder if they’ve ever thought of bringing it back to the states.
Nope, the Veracruz was a crossover and I believe Hyundai has not sold any body-on-frame vehicle in the US.
The Veracruz was not a rebadged Borrego. It was a FWD crossover
Got it. Guess I mixed them up/assumed they were related since it was around the same time and both looked pretty bland.
I had the exact same thought, this seems to have evolved into a nice Prado/GX competitor. (But significantly less expensive, I’d wager.)