KIA Motors today released the first images of the KCD-II, also known as the 'Mesa'. The new, rugged looking sport utility vehicle (SUV) is scheduled to be unveiled next week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, USA.

The Mesa, which represents a market segment not currently addressed by Kia in the US, encapsulates Kia's vision of an "exciting and enabling" new SUV and has been specifically designed with the requirements of the North American market in mind. Senior executive vice-president and COO of Kia Motors, Mr Yong-Hwan Kim, said: "The Mesa exemplifies the future of the SUV market and is a good glimpse into the dynamic exterior designs to come from Kia Motors.

"The highly user friendly interior design of the Mesa leans toward spare shapes and thoughtful ergonomics, while the strong exterior portrays the exciting and enabling qualities of vehicles that our expanding customer base has come to expect," said Mr Kim.

The Mesa is the second Kia concept vehicle to be developed by the Kia California Design Center in Irvine, California, USA. The new vehicle is a modern, rugged body-on-frame SUV that features three rows of seats, dual full-length sunroofs and an expansive 116-inch wheelbase.