Kia is set to enter the pick-up market with the Tasman, a new offering to rival the Ford Ranger.
The Korean brand’s first C-segment pick-up truck will offer customers a balance between practicality and workhorse performance alongside the luxuries of a lifestyle vehicle. The name Tasman is inspired by Australia's rugged and demanding Tasmanian region, where pick-ups — or utes — are extremely popular.
Unsurprisingly, the country will be the first territory to see deliveries of the new pick-up.
Technical details of the Tasman have yet to be confirmed by Kia, but it is expected that the pickup will be available with a 2.2-litre diesel engine producing around 200hp and 440Nm of torque. The same engine can be found in the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Palisade SUVs in various countries.
While testing of more than 100 Tasman pick-up trucks is ongoing in different environments worldwide, it’s unlikely that the pick-up will make it onto the UK market. That said, a trademark registration for the Kia Tasman was approved in the UK by the government’s Intellectual Property Office in July 2023, leaving the door open for a change of heart at Kia.
The Tasman is anticipated to debut in Australia in 2025. The new model will then undergo a phased launch into other markets worldwide, including Korea, Africa, and the Middle East.
2025 will also see the first all-electric PBV commercial vehicles from Kia arrive in Europe, beginning with the launch of the PV5, a Transit Custom-sized van. In January 2024, at the CES show, Kia unveiled a concept pickup version of the modular vehicle, which could be available as an option for UK buyers.
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