The Kia Tasman has made its world debut – simultaneously at the Jeddah motor show in Saudi Arabia and in Hobart, Tasmania – giving us our first full look at the Korean brand’s first rival for the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
Kia says it’ll launch the Tasman in its domestic market during the first half of 2025, before subsequently introducing it in regions like Australia, Africa and the Middle East.
While it looks more like a Jeep Gladiator than its more traditional rivals thanks to a boxy design and chunky fender flares, it more closely resembles the likes of the HiLux and Ranger on its spec sheet.
Kia has only revealed dual-cab pickup and cab-chassis variants of the Tasman thus far, but says it will offer single-cab configurations further down the line.
The company will offer the Tasman in base, X-Line and X-Pro variants, though local pricing and specifications won’t be announced until closer to its local launch.
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Drivetrains
The Kia Tasman will be produced with two engines: one petrol and one diesel, though only the latter – referred to as the Diesel New R – is earmarked for Australia.
| Diesel | Petrol | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.2L turbo-diesel 4cyl | 2.5L turbo-petrol 4cyl |
| Power | 154kW | 207kW |
| Torque | 441Nm | 421Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual or 8-speed auto | 8-speed auto |
| 0-100km/h | 10.4s | 8.5s |
| Fuel economy (target) | 7.6L/100km | 12.5L/100km |
While that power figure stacks up well alongside the four-cylinder Ford Ranger BiTurbo (154kW) and Toyota HiLux (150kW), the torque figure falls below those popular utes (500Nm each) as well as the 3.0-litre Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 (450Nm), and the Mitsubishi Triton (470Nm).
It’ll match all of those for towing, however, with a braked tow capacity of 3500kg.
Chassis and Capability
The Tasman features double-wishbone front suspension but a live rear axle with leaf springs, again like much of its competition.
Front and rear suspension feature Kia’s frequency selective Sensitive Damper Control (SDC) and Hydraulic Rebound Stop technology, aimed at reducing vibration; Kia also says the vertically mounted shock absorbers ensure more effective damping and ride control.
Kia says the four-wheel drive system “switches automatically to the configuration required to provide optimum traction”. It can be toggled between 2H, 4A, 4H and 4L modes.
Unlike the base Tasman, the X-Line and X-Pro will come standard with four-wheel drive with selectable Eco, Smart, Sand, Mud, Snow and (in the X-Pro) Rock modes; in the Middle East and Africa there’s also a specific Desert drive mode.
The X-Pro has 252mm of ground clearance, up 28mm on the X-Line, and rides on 17-inch gloss-black wheels with all-terrain tyres instead of 18s with highway terrain tyres.
The more off-road-oriented Tasman also features an automatically engaging electronic locking rear differential, as well as an X-Trek mode that can maintain a low speed off-road without the need for the driver to touch the pedals.
Kia will also offer a Ground View Monitor to give drivers a better view of, well, the ground.
Dimensions
Here’s how the Tasman measures up:
| Kia Tasman | |
|---|---|
| Length | 5410mm |
| Width | 1930mm |
| Height (incl. roof rack) | Base: 1870mm X-Line: 1890mm X-Pro: 1920mm |
| Wheelbase | 3270mm |
| Ground clearance | Base 4×2: 231mm Base, X-Line 4×4: 224mm X-Pro 4×4: 252mm |
| Payload | 1017-1195kg |
Kia says the Tasman has a wading depth of 800mm at speeds of up to 7km/h, with the company also using waterproof connectors for selected interior parts.
Tub
Here’s how the tub measures up:
| Kia Tasman | |
|---|---|
| Tub length | 1512mm |
| Tub width | 1572mm (1186mm between the wheels) |
| Tub depth | 540mm |
| Cargo capacity | 1173L (VDA) |
Down back, there are standard corner steps as well as a power outlet (rated at 240v in Australia) and a sliding cargo floor.
Kia also says the Tasman has optional bedside flexibility, with a mini table for items such as a Bluetooth speaker or cup.
The company will offer four bed accessory configurations: Single Decker, Double Decker, Sports Bar, and Ladder Rack.
The Single Decker configuration features a canopy and butterfly doors for easy access, plus a roof rack for a rooftop tent, while the Double Decker features a sliding tonneau cover.
Kia will also offer a total of 13 accessory products, including two types of side steps and beadlock-style wheels.
Interior
Inside, there’s a similarly rugged look to the exterior.
There’s a widescreen assembly incorporating a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 5.0-inch climate display, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
There’s a honeycomb pattern to the air vents, while the centre stack and console have a minimalist look but with an array of physical buttons.
Kia has tried to make the Tasman’s interior as user-friendly as possible with various clever features like a large folding console table, storage bins under the rear seats with 33L of storage capacity, and dual wireless charging pads.
The company also boasts the Tasman has best-in-segment headroom, shoulder room and second-row legroom, with the rear seats also reclining by between 22 and 30 degrees.
There are also various sustainable finishes such as bio-plastic trim on the dashboard, carpeting made from recycled PET material, and upholstery made from a combination of this and bio-PU synthetic leather.
The interior can be had in five colourways:
- Onyx Black/Medium Grey
- Espresso Brown/Onyx Black
- Deep Green/Medium Grey
- Onyx Black/Medium Grey (X-Line and X-Pro)
- Deep Green/Terracotta Brown (X-Line and X-Pro)
An eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is optional.
Kia will offer the Tasman with a range of active safety and driver assist features, including lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and Highway Driving Assist 2 which combines adaptive cruise and lane centring features.
It’ll also be offered with Kia’s Remote Smart Park Assist, allowing you to move the vehicle in and out of a parking space using the key fob.
Design
Kia says the Tasman has a “basic, honest form” that doesn’t rely on “the oversized styling that has come to dominate the pickup segment”, with particularly upright glass front and rear.
It features an expansive grille intended to visually emphasise the ute’s width, with a version of Kia’s Tiger Face and vertically oriented lighting.
A total of nine colours will be available. These are:
- Clear White
- Snow Pearl White
- Steel Grey
- Interstellar Grey
- Aurora Black Pearl
- Cityscape Green
- Runway Red
- Tan Beige
- Denim Blue
The last two are new to Kia’s colour palette.
Pricing for the Kia Tasman is yet to be announced, but expect it to be competitive with Australia’s most popular utes. You can also expect Kia’s first ute to come with the Korean brand’s seven-year warranty and capped-price service plan.
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