Why Was The Kia Borrego Discontinued & How Rare Is This Body-On-Frame SUV?
Long before Kia SUVs like the Telluride started populating seemingly every parking lot in the country, there was the Kia Borrego. If the name isn't familiar, that's because the Borrego is a bit of an obscure part of Kia's North American history. It was a body-on-frame SUV with an optional V8 from a brand that wasn't really associated with any of those things back in 2008.
The Borrego, sadly, was quickly forgotten. It was offered in North America for the 2009 model year before being discontinued. Compared to mainstream Kias like the Optima or Sorento from the era, the Borrego sold slowly, and few left dealer lots during its time. Poor fuel economy, combined with the fact that rugged, body-on-frame SUVs weren't quite as popular when it was launched, probably meant that the Borrego didn't have much chance of lasting more than one year, anyway.
While the Borrego was discontinued in 2009, Kia sold leftover units until 2011, with 22,663 sold in total. To put that in context, Kia has sold 110,038 Tellurides between September 2025 and 2026, making the Borrego a rare Kia indeed.
The Kia Borrego wasn't that great
Unfortunately, the Borrego was broadly quite mediocre. Reviews from the time note that both available engines were smooth and quiet enough, but weren't particularly exciting, especially the 3.8-liter V6 that made 276 hp. The optional 4.6-liter V8 made a beefier 337 hp, but suffered at a combined 16 mpg in Car & Driver's test. Not that the V6 was much more economical, mind you, with the outlet managing just 18 mpg.
Considering the state of the world in the immediate years after the 2008 financial crisis, a big, gas-hogging SUV was probably a tough sell for Kia. Nowadays, the newest Telluride, although lacking a V8, is available with a hybrid powertrain that makes a combined 329 hp and can still achieve up to 31 mpg combined. If, for whatever reason, you really want to buy a Kia Borrego, Edmunds lists 19 Borregos for sale in varying conditions across the country at the time of writing.