Kia Tasman is Here – Images & Salient Specs
The Addition of a Mid-Size Pickup Truck to its Lineup in 2025 Called the Kia Tasman
Kia Corporation isn’t playing around. They recently announced the addition of a mid-size pickup truck to its lineup in 2025 called the Kia Tasman. Other successful pickup trucks, such as the mighty Ford Raptor and the fan-favorite Toyota Hilux, influenced the decision.
Kia has finally realized the potential of the market they have yet to take advantage of. The announcement was made at the Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia and Hobart, Tasmania. As of yet, there are no signs that it will be available in the U.S., but we’ll see about that.
Target Sales
Kia has set a sales goal of 20,000 units in Australia, representing around 10 percent of total pickup truck sales in Australia. If achieved, this sales target will set Kia among the top three best-selling brands in the Australian market, behind Ford and Toyota.
Officials at Kia also stated that the truck will be available in Korea in the first half of 2025, while Australia, Africa, and the Middle East will get the Kia Tasman in the second half of 2025. Although the U.S. market is truck-hungry, there are no plans to launch the Tasman in the U.S. at this time.
The car is named after the Tasman Sea, which lies between Australia and New Zealand. Kia stated that the name was selected because of the significance of the vehicle’s Australian and New Zealand markets.
What’s it All About?
Well, the Kia Tasman will be available in three trims: Baseline, X-Line, and X-Pro. The X-Line and X-Pro will have standard 4WD, but the Baseline will only be available with RWD. All of the variants will be based on a body-on-frame chassis, which will help the Tasman match the towing capacity of its rivals.
Under the Hood
You can choose a 2.5L Petrol engine with 255 hp and 420 Nm of torque or a 2.2L Diesel engine making 207 hp and 440 Nm of torque. The Petrol engine is coupled with an 8-speed Automatic transmission, which you can also get with the Diesel engine, or you can go for the manly 6-speed manual gearbox.
With its 3500 kg towing capacity, this engine is more likely to dominate the Middle East market. Even before its production, this truck is giving the Ford Raptor, Toyota Hilux, and Mitsubishi L200 a run for their money.
Immaculate Interior
Interior-wise, the Kia Tasman is doing better than most of its competitors. You get integrated side steps to climb into your 6-foot truck. Some of the amenities you get with this ute are:
- 12.3-inch gauge cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Dual wireless charging pads
- Eight-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo
- column-mounted gear selector
- 33-litre storage spot under the rear seats
- heated and ventilated front seats
- best in class headroom, legroom, and shoulder room
- dual glovebox
While the official specifications have not yet been confirmed, these are among many other cool and exciting reasons to buy the Kia Tasman.
Most Australian Truck
At the exterior of the Tasman, you get everything you’d get in any other pickup truck and more. With an almost 1.1-inch lift and 9.5 inches of ground clearance, you are surely unstoppable. You can even cross up to 32 inches of water with this truck.
The Kia Tasman can be fitted with an optional ladder rack, a sports bar, and single—and double-decker bed add-ons. Kia literally took all of the good things from other trucks and put them in the Tasman. Kia says this will be the “Most Australian Truck” to hit the Australian market.
Kia Tasman Expected Price
There is no confirmed official price yet, but the Tasman will obviously be priced between $40,000 and $70,000. Most trucks sold in Australia are in this price range. Rumors suggest that Kia Australia’s final decision regarding its price will be influenced by the BYD Shark 6 PHEV’s price, which recently debuted at just $57,900 plus on-road costs.