- Kia unveiled its first pickup, the Tasman, late October, and its styling is proving divisive
- The truck sits on a ladder frame, and comes with a gas or diesel four-cylinder
- It will launch in select markets in 2025, although North America isn’t on the list
Kia pulled the wraps (and the creative camouflage; see below) off of its first-ever pickup October 29, introducing to the world the Tasman, a practical body-on-frame truck offered with a diesel or gas four-cylinder—and some styling polarizing enough to perhaps make you forget all of those details I just mentioned.
Yes, while the payload, towing, and other performance-related numbers generally make or break a pickup for most buyers, we have a hunch that first and foremost in the minds of any prospective Kia Tasman customers will be its look. Kia says it took a “fresh approach to aesthetics,” with the automaker’s global head of design, Canadian-raised and -educated Karim Habib, saying the Tasmin boasts an “honest form, using simple and rugged elements to capture the spirit of practicality.”
Aesthetic red flags were raised when the teasers (again, see below) were first released, and perhaps the most controversial styling element, the unpainted black plastic bits over the wheelwell openings, apparently got enough push-back that some Kia execs frantically heralded news of a fix for the tire eyebrows last week.
If only the divisiveness of the design stopped there. The face of the Tasman lacks – how should I put this? – widespread appeal, with opinions on the headlight size and placement and the finishing of the grille already flooding the Internet. The rear three-quarters may be the truck’s most flattering angle, but if you ask some online critics, that’s less of a compliment and more a measure of how low the bar was set by the other sides of the pickup.
The good news is that, as mentioned above, there is already a fix for the wheel-topping unpainted plastic trim, as well as perhaps some other areas, via a built-in degree of customization-by-accessory meant to let owners take the Tasmin in a direction they may prefer. We’re still not sure whether that means the tire eyebrows will come optionally painted; or if you can buy even more black body cladding that more fully surrounds the wheel.
Okay, on to the details. The Tasman is a body-on-frame truck that comes with a double-cab body and an overall length of 213 inches (5,410 mm). Single and double chassis cab styles will also be available. Powertrain options consist of a 277-horsepower 2.5-litre gasoline mill churning out 311 lb-ft of torque; or a 207-hp 2.2-litre turbodiesel good for 325 lb-ft. Both come standard with an eight-speed automatic backing them, with a six-speed manual available on the diesel.
Base models get 2WD and selectable terrain modes like Sand, Mud, Snow, and Rock; while higher trims make 4WD standard and add an Electronic Locking Differential (e-LD). It all sits on double wishbones up front, with a leaf-sprung solid rear axle out back damped by vertically mounted shock absorbers.
Payload comes in between 2,242 and 2,634 pounds depending on trim, and towing capability maxes out at 7,716 pounds. The 1,173-liter (41.4-cubic-foot) bed comes illuminated and with a built-in power outlet, plus a sliding cargo floor.
In contrast to the polarizing exterior, the interior design is rather straightforward, simple, and handsome. You can’t avoid noticing the triple screens across the dashboard—the Tasman comes loaded with tech and needs all the inches it can get so owners can use it all. The glass right in front of the driver is a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, with a same-size touchscreen handling infotainment near cabin centre. The rear bench reclines, and also hides a 33-litre (1.2-cubic-foot) storage space.
The Kia Tasman will launch in Korea before rolling out to Australia, Africa, and the Middle East; it seems purpose-built to take on the segment stalwarts, there, the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. The North American market has not been mentioned, and while we wouldn’t rule it out (see, one last time, below) it does seem like a very long shot we’ll get anything like the Tasman in Canada any time soon.
Depending on your own view of that exterior styling, though, maybe that’s a good thing. Would you miss this new Kia pickup? Sound off in the comments. —Nick Maronese
Our original article regarding the Tasman teaser campaign, by Jil McIntosh, continues unchanged below, for those who want some more context on the Kia Tasman’s launch.
Kia has released a photo of the Tasman, its upcoming midsize pickup truck, covered in a camouflage wrap inspired by Tasmania, which in turn is the basis of the truck’s name. It’s the automaker’s first-ever pickup truck — it does make a light-duty commercial truck for some global markets — and so far, Kia says the Tasman will launch in 2025 in “key markets” that include Korea, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Notably missing on that list is our market, although we’re not surprised. There are scads of small trucks sold in various countries that never make it to Canada or the U.S., and many of them made by automakers that are major players here.
UPDATE October 24, 2024: Well, despite the fact it’s not yet out and hasn’t even been fully revealed, the design of the Tasman has already raised more than enough eyebrows for the Korean automaker to address a fix to the truck’s looks. At issue specifically is the black, unpainted fender arches over the wheels, which some detractors have likened to moustaches. It’s a divisive element however you cut it, and an alternative has already been greenlit.
“It’s very good news. I can assure you that accessory [fender flare] will be there at launch,” is what Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith told Carsales magazine, though he didn’t exactly explain what the accessory flare would look like. Pundits presume it’ll wrap the black plastic finish around the rest of the wheel-well opening, though others note new teasers for the pickup show the solution Kia might have figured out involves just, y’know, painting the part. We’re less than a week away from the truck’s reveal, so we won’t have to wait long for the real answer. Our original article continues below. —Ed.
That said, a spy-shot videographer caught sight of a heavily-wrapped Tasman being tested on a public road in the U.S. That could mean the door is potentially open for us, although we’re also not ruling out that Kia is testing it through its U.S. arm in preparation for sale in Mexico, which also gets a lot of vehicles we never see, or countries in Latin and South America.
Sister company Hyundai sells the Santa Cruz, which was specifically designed for the North American market and is getting a refresh for 2025, but it’s based on the Tucson SUV, while the Tasman appears to be a body-on-frame unit.
While Kia’s commercial trucks are exactly that, the Tasman will play both sides of the fence. The automaker said that, “In addition to effortlessly fulfilling the role of a work-oriented pickup, the Tasman is designed to meet customers’ diverse personal needs.” The wrap, designed by Australian artist Richard Boyd-Dunlop, captures the truck’s “spirit of adventure,” Kia said.
Kia announced the truck’s existence earlier in April — this time around is the first look at it — and said that it aims to “cater to the unique demands and preferences of each region” where sales are planned. The factors include “Australia’s strong market for pickup trucks, Korea’s growing interest in outdoor pursuits, and Africa and the Middle East’s need for off-road vehicles in diverse terrains, including deserts.”
That last one pricked our ears, because GM, Ford, and Toyota all offer trims or accessories for their midsize trucks to tackle the tough stuff — every one of them has released numerous shots of the Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma making haste across dirt or dunes — and while we don’t have any information or specs on it, a truck designed for the desert sounds like something that could potentially be dropped into our smaller-truck pool here and hold its own. We’re crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.
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