A few days ago, GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, made its first delivery to the U.S. Army of the new Infantry Squad Vehicle, an all-terrain transport that can carry 9 soldiers and their equipment.
But GM isn’t the only automaker making news with its military vehicles. A day or so later, Kia unveiled the design for its 2.5- and 5-ton military vehicles, an open-top all-terrain vehicle based on the Mohave sport utility chassis. It said it plans to deliver field-test results to the Korean government in 2021, with military deployment in 2024.
Kia also said it will apply electric powertrain, autonomous driving and hydrogen fuel-cell technologies to its military vehicle development.
As for the new 2.5- and 5-ton vehicles, they will be powered by a 7.0-liter diesel engine, will have automatic transmissions, anti-lock brakes, vehicle stability control, rear parking assist, around-view monitors, satellite navigation and heated seats. A bullet-proof 5-ton vehicle also is being planned.
Kia said it also plans versions of the all-terrain vehicle for commercial and recreational sectors.
Kia previously has produced 140,000 military vehicles in nine models.
