Kia has officially entered the pickup truck arena with the unveiling of the Kia Tasman, a vehicle poised to disrupt the segment and challenge conventional notions of what a pickup can be. This groundbreaking model, Kia’s first foray into the pickup market, invites customers to “Dive into a New Dimension,” promising a blend of robust capability, cutting-edge technology, and unparalleled versatility. The Tasman is not just another entry into the competitive ute market; it’s a statement of intent from Kia, showcasing their ambition to redefine vehicle categories and cater to a diverse range of lifestyles and needs.
The Kia Tasman is engineered to seamlessly integrate into both professional and personal lives, offering a compelling package for tradespeople, adventurers, and families alike. With its purposeful design, spacious and comfortable interior, and a host of smart technologies, the Tasman is set to become a key player in the global pickup market, starting with its launch in key regions in 2025. This new Kia Pickup truck is not just about hauling cargo; it’s about expanding horizons and offering a vehicle that’s as adaptable and dynamic as its owners.
A Pickup Truck Engineered for a Progressive Lifestyle
Drawing upon Kia’s extensive experience in developing robust and reliable vehicles, including a strong SUV lineage exemplified by models like the Mohave, the Tasman is built from the ground up to conquer diverse terrains and meet the multifaceted demands of modern pickup owners. Kia’s President and CEO, Ho Sung Song, emphasized this ambition, stating, “Kia’s first-ever pickup truck was created from the ground up to transform the market and respond to the growing preference for lifestyle-oriented trucks with advanced features.” This Kia pickup is designed to be more than just a workhorse; it’s intended to be a lifestyle enabler.
The Tasman embodies a “progressive pickup” philosophy, charting its own course rather than simply following established competitors. It aims to fuse core pickup truck values – capability and practicality – with advanced features and innovative thinking, encapsulated in its global slogan, “Dive into a New Dimension.” This Kia pickup truck is designed for those who seek a vehicle that can handle both demanding work tasks and adventurous leisure pursuits, offering solutions that are genuinely world-first in the pickup segment.
Exterior Design: A Bold Departure from Pickup Norms
Kia’s design team consciously broke away from the often-predictable aesthetics that have dominated the pickup truck landscape for years. The result is a refreshing and honest design language that prioritizes functionality and strength without resorting to oversized or overly aggressive styling. Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design, describes the Kia Tasman as “designed to serve as a dependable companion in every situation,” for “explorers, adventurers and people who like to get things done.”
The exterior of this Kia pickup truck exudes power and confidence through its clean lines and robust elements. A wide radiator grille and bumper emphasize the vehicle’s stance, while the hood trim and grille frame Kia’s signature Tiger Face, incorporating vertically oriented lighting within the headlamps. The upright windshield and rear glass contribute to a bold silhouette, further accentuated by the dynamic 45-degree angles integrated into the design. The unique fender design seamlessly blends practical elements like headlights and storage, showcasing a design that is both functional and visually striking.
At the rear, the Kia Tasman reinforces its utilitarian nature with a bold, stamped logo on the tailgate. The tailgate handle and high-mounted stop lamp are integrated smoothly, enhancing both functionality and the truck’s rugged character. Kia offers a diverse palette of nine exterior colors for the Tasman, including Clear White, Snow Pearl White, Steel Gray, Interstellar Gray, Cityscape Green, Runway Red, Aurora Black Pearl, and the new hues Tan Beige and Denim Blue, allowing for personalization and reflecting diverse customer tastes.
Interior Design: Where Practicality Meets Refinement
The interior of the Kia Tasman continues the theme of innovation, introducing a new level of design quality to the pickup truck segment. Prioritizing both purity and practicality, the cabin is designed to be a reliable and comfortable space for years to come. The robust and rugged ambiance is unmistakably pickup truck, yet the interior design uses concise, symmetrical proportions to create a sense of stability and balance.
Large air vents with a distinctive honeycomb pattern highlight the ventilation system’s functionality, a recurring design motif throughout the interior. A multi-function steering wheel and a minimalist lower center dashboard and tunnel section, featuring thoughtfully placed buttons, provide intuitive control over the Kia Tasman’s advanced technology. Luxurious shapes and sophisticated details elevate the interior beyond typical pickup truck standards, aiming for a more refined experience.
The state-of-the-art panoramic widescreen display, featuring a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 5-inch center display, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, provides drivers and passengers with seamless access to vehicle controls and advanced infotainment options. An optional eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, along with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, caters to modern connectivity and entertainment needs.
Kia has equipped the Tasman’s interior with a range of innovative and practical features to support both work and leisure. These include a large folding console table, dual wireless charging pads, and cleverly hidden storage bins beneath the rear seats, offering a class-leading 33 liters of storage capacity. The Kia Tasman also boasts best-in-segment headroom, shoulder room, and an impressive 940mm of second-row legroom. The rear seats offer recline adjustability between 22 and 30 degrees, ensuring passenger comfort even on long journeys.
Reflecting Kia’s commitment to sustainability, the Tasman incorporates ten “must-have” sustainability items, including a crash pad made from bio-plastics, seats crafted with recycled PET fabric and bio-PU synthetic leather, BTX-free and bio-paint compositions, and interior carpets made from recycled PET material. The Kia Tasman’s interior trim is available in five colorways: Onyx Black/Medium Gray, Espresso Brown/Onyx Black, and Deep Green/Medium Gray. For the more off-road focused X-Line and X-Pro models, customers can choose from two-tone options including Onyx Black/Medium Gray and Deep Green/Terracotta Brown.
Tasman Trims and Specifications: Tailored for Every Need
The Kia Tasman is offered in a double cab configuration as a base model, along with X-Line and X-Pro trims, each catering to different levels of capability and style. The X-Pro trim is designed for superior off-road performance, featuring a 28mm increase in ground clearance, totaling 252mm, and equipped with 17-inch gloss-black wheels and all-terrain tires. The X-Line trim features larger 18-inch alloy wheels paired with highway and terrain tires, balancing on-road refinement with off-road capability.
Recognizing the diverse needs of commercial users, Kia will also offer customizable chassis cab variants and single cab options, optimizing bed space by reconfiguring the passenger compartment. Customization is a key aspect of the Kia Tasman, with a wide array of accessories designed to enhance both work and leisure activities. These accessories are designed to be standardized, innovative, and uniquely Kia, providing versatile solutions that maximize the vehicle’s spaciousness, practicality, and go-anywhere nature.
Four bed accessory configurations will be available: Single Decker, Double Decker, Sports Bar, and Ladder Rack. The Single Decker features a canopy with butterfly doors and a roof rack for rooftop tents. The Double Decker offers a trunk with butterfly doors and a sliding tonneau cover for customizable cargo space. The Sports Roll Bar variant provides a functional frame for mounting outdoor lifestyle equipment, while the Ladder Rack variant is compatible with ladder-type racks and rooftop tents. In total, 13 accessory products will be offered, including two types of side steps and beadlock-style wheels, allowing owners to truly personalize their Kia pickup.
Drivetrain: Performance and Refinement Across Terrains
Built on a fully optimized body-on-frame platform, the Kia Tasman will offer a range of powertrains tailored to different markets. In Korea, it will be available with a 281PS 2.5-liter petrol engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering 421Nm of torque and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 8.5 seconds, with a top speed of 185km/h.
For the Australian market, the Kia pickup will feature a 210PS 2.2-liter diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, producing 441Nm of torque and achieving 0-100km/h in 10.4 seconds, with the same top speed. In regions like the Middle East and Africa, customers will have a choice between the 2.5-liter petrol engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and the 2.2-liter diesel engine, available with either an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission, depending on the specific market.
An optimized composite bush structure mounting the body to the frame chassis enhances rigidity, body control, stability, and comfort. The double wishbone front suspension is designed to improve ride and handling in all conditions, while the rear features a rigid axle with leaf springs for robust load-carrying capability, incorporating vertically mounted shock absorbers for enhanced damping and control. Kia’s Sensitive Damper Control (SDC) and Hydraulic Rebound Stop technology further minimize cabin vibration and improve body control and comfort, particularly on rough terrain.
Pickup-Specific Features: Conquering Any Environment
To ensure the Kia Tasman meets the demands of pickup truck users in challenging conditions, the air intake is positioned within the fender, enabling a water wading depth of up to 800mm at 7km/h. Waterproof connectors for key interior parts further enhance durability in wet environments. The Kia Tasman’s all-terrain drivetrain technology has been rigorously tested in diverse locations worldwide, from Swedish snow to Australian deserts and UAE dunes.
Both the X-Line and X-Pro models come standard with all-wheel-drive, optionally available on the base model. The AWD system automatically adapts to provide optimal traction and offers ECO, Smart, and Sport driving modes, with terrain modes varying by market. The X-Pro adds a Rock mode for challenging mountainous terrain. Desert, Mud, Snow, and Rock modes are available in the Middle East and Africa, while Sand, Mud, Snow, and Rock modes are offered in Australia and other general markets for all-wheel-drive variants.
The X-Pro variant further enhances off-road capability with an automatically engaging rear Electronic Locking Differential (e-LD) and X-Trek mode. X-Trek mode maintains low-speed off-road driving without manual acceleration or braking, while the e-LD provides advanced control over locking and unlocking for improved adaptability in off-road scenarios. Kia’s Ground View Monitor (GVM) provides drivers with a view of the ground level, aiding precise maneuvering in tight off-road situations.
Practicality: A True Work Companion
Kia has prioritized practicality in the Tasman, creating a pickup truck that serves as a valuable tool for small business owners and anyone requiring a versatile work vehicle. Standard features include corner steps for easy access to the illuminated load bed. Optional features include a power outlet (240V in Australia, 220V elsewhere) for tools and devices, and a sliding cargo floor for easier loading and unloading. Bed divider capabilities and optional bedside flexibility with a mini table further enhance the truck’s utility for both work and recreational activities. The folding console table in the interior adds to the Tasman’s versatility, transforming it into a mobile workspace.
The Kia Tasman’s load bed measures 1,512 mm long, 1,572 mm wide (1,186 mm between wheel wells), and 540 mm deep, offering a best-in-class cargo capacity of 1,173 liters (VDA). With a multi-skeleton bed structure, the Tasman can carry a maximum payload of 1,145kg in 2WD mode and has a towing capacity of 3,500kg.
Advanced Technology: Seamless Connectivity and Safety
The Kia Tasman’s chassis and suspension, designed for off-road durability, also contribute to excellent on-road driving dynamics. Predictable handling and a comfortable ride make the Tasman enjoyable for everyday driving. Enhanced sound-deadening materials, wind-sealing strips, and noise extractor technology create a quiet and vibration-free cabin, uncommon in the pickup truck segment.
Kia Tasman users benefit from advanced technology for safety and convenience. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) include lane keeping assist, blind spot collision warning, and remote parking assist through Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). These systems are optimized with trailer profile functionality, allowing trailer specifications to be integrated into the ADAS for optimized driving characteristics when towing.
Global Debut and Market Launch
The Kia Tasman has undergone rigorous testing, including 1,777 specific tests across over 18,000 evaluation rounds, covering off-road ability, wading, durability, towing, and on-road performance. Proven to meet the highest standards globally, the Kia Tasman made its world premiere at the Jeddah International Motor Show, showcasing Baseline, X-Line, and X-Pro Double Cab models.
The Kia Tasman is scheduled to launch first in the Korean domestic market in the first half of 2025, followed by launches in Australia, Africa, and the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia anticipated to be a key market. The Kia Tasman marks a significant step for Kia into the global pickup truck market, promising to deliver a vehicle that is both capable and refined, practical and technologically advanced – a true “new dimension” in the world of utes.
| Kia Tasman Specifications |
|---|
| Trim |
| Overlength |
| Width |
| Height(incl. roof rack) |
| Wheelbase |
| Ground clearance |
| 2WD |
| 4WD |
| Engine type |
| 6MT |
| Gasoline Theta 3 |
| Diesel New R |
| Fuel efficiency |
| Fuel tank capacity |
| Tire |
| Specializedfeatures |
| Specialized control |
| Terrain mode |
| Wading performance |
| Towing capacity |
| Load capacity |
| Payload capacity |
| Convenience features |
| Bed convenience |
| Towing ADAS features |
| Other convenience functions |
