Leaked: Kia Mesa detail photos

A couple of detail images of Kia's upcoming Mesa, a midsize truck-based SUV, were released on an enthusiast forum. The two photos give us some detail of the new SUV's grille, side profile and wheels, and they make it pretty obvious that the Mesa draws heavily from the KCD-II Mesa concept vehicle.

The detail photos, found on Hyundai Exchange (membership required), show us the front grille, which is a very mildly toned down version of the Mesa's grille, and the alloy wheels, which also follow the concept vehicle's theme.

The Mesa was unveiled at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was a midsize SUV concept sized about the same as a Ford Explorer. The concept was immediately rumored for production, but with the downturn in truck-based SUV sales, we had heard rumors that Kia had abandoned plans to produce the vehicle. It now appears that production is imminent and that the vehicle will be shown in an upcoming auto show.