2005 Kia KCD-II Mesa Concept

Contrasting the three-slat chrome grille, are elegant headlamp clusters that

"Like Hummer and Jeep, Kia has a history of building military vehicles, and we drew on that legacy to bring utility to life in the Mesa." (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

fold around the front corners of the SUV to meet up with heavily sculpted fenders, integrating muscular wheel arches stuffed with large 22-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 33-inch 305/45R/45 all-terrain tires.

The Mesa's hood is unusually flat, giving the SUV more of a utilitarian appearance than the majority of its would-be rivals.

"Like Hummer and Jeep, Kia has a history of building military vehicles, and we drew on that legacy to bring utility to life in the Mesa," said Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Design at the Hyundai . Kia Motors Design & Technical Center in Irvine, California.

Despite the rogue toughness its chunky qualities depict, its windscreen is

Softly angled taillamps are remotely similar to those on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Mitsubishi Endeavor. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

sportingly raked backward to mirror the front fascia, no doubt optimizing aerodynamic principals to reduce wind noise and allow the SUV to the slip through the air more efficiently.

The roofline dips down dramatically when reaching the C-pillar, or at least it appears to. In reality it continues on toward a somewhat vertical tail, the rear quarter comprised of tinted glass, while the body-colour C-pillar arcs toward the Mesa's bulging flanks. Softly angled taillamps are remotely similar to those on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Mitsubishi Endeavor, but nevertheless have a distinct quality that can't be directly associated to any previous design.