Kia Borrego goes MIA for 2010MY

As the saying goes, timing is everything. Following its late 2008 introduction - which happened to coincide with $4 gas and the general collapse of the auto industry - Kia has announced its Borrego SUV will take a hiatus for the 2010 model year.

The Kia Borrego may have well been the perfect vehicle for 2006, but its 2008 introduction spelled doom for the body-on-frame SUV. Kia targeted a reasonable 20,000 U.S. sales for the Borrego, but has managed only about half that number, registering 9,500 sales through November.

Despite its slow U.S. sales, the Borrego has actually fared well in its home market, where it is marketed under the Mohave nameplate. As such, the Borrego will likely see a 2010 model in Korea.

However, Kia hasn't officially ruled out the Borrego's return to the U.S. market. While no Borrego will be available for the 2010 model year, the Borrego's fate has official bee ruled "to be determined".