Kia has officially entered the pickup truck arena with the unveiling of the Kia Tasman, a vehicle designed to redefine expectations in the segment. This bold move marks Kia’s expansion into a new market, adding to their already diverse lineup of sedans, SUVs, commercial vehicles, and PBVs. The Kia Tasman pickup truck is not just another entry; it’s a statement, inviting customers to “dive into a new dimension” of what a pickup can offer.
Built upon decades of Kia’s expertise in creating robust and versatile vehicles, including off-road models, the Tasman aims to seamlessly blend work and leisure. It’s engineered to be a transformative pickup, pushing boundaries with its purposeful design, cutting-edge technology, and class-leading space and convenience.
A Pickup Truck for the Modern Lifestyle
The Kia Tasman pickup truck breaks away from traditional pickup norms, embracing a progressive approach to meet the evolving needs of today’s drivers. Recognizing the growing demand for lifestyle-oriented trucks, Kia has created a vehicle that is as capable on a worksite as it is on a weekend adventure.
Ho Sung Song, President and CEO at Kia, emphasized this vision: “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. The Kia Tasman is a progressive pickup truck that follows its own path – not the competition.”
This philosophy is encapsulated in the Kia Tasman’s global slogan, “Dive into a New Dimension,” highlighting its ambition to broaden horizons for owners seeking a versatile vehicle for both professional and recreational pursuits.
Striking Exterior Design: A Departure from Convention
The design of the Kia Tasman pickup truck consciously avoids the familiar, often overstated, aesthetics prevalent in the pickup segment. Instead, Kia’s design team has opted for a fresh, honest form, emphasizing solid power and functionality through simple yet rugged elements. This approach results in a vehicle that is both purposeful and visually appealing, without relying on excessive styling.
Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design, describes the Tasman as “Created especially for explorers, adventurers and people who like to get things done… Solid and capable, its design begins with an honest form, using simple and rugged elements to capture a spirit of practicality. The Kia Tasman is a pickup truck that effortlessly blends lifestyle and utility.”
Alt text: Bold front grille and headlight design of the new Kia Tasman pickup truck, emphasizing its width and robust appearance.
The front of the Kia Tasman pickup truck is characterized by an expansive radiator grille and bumper, enhancing its wide and stable stance. The iconic Kia Tiger Face is subtly integrated, framed by the hood trim and grille, and features distinctive vertical signature lighting within the headlamps.
The upright windshield and rear glass contribute to the Tasman’s strong silhouette, further accentuated by the sharp 45-degree angles of its design elements. Unique fender designs incorporate practical features like integrated headlights and storage, showcasing a blend of functionality and confident styling.
At the rear, the Kia Tasman pickup truck reinforces its practical nature with a bold, stamped logo on the tailgate. The seamlessly integrated tailgate handle and high-mounted stop lamp enhance both functionality and its utilitarian character.
Customers will have a choice of nine exterior colors for the Kia Tasman, including Clear White, Snow Pearl White, Steel Gray, Interstellar Gray, Cityscape Green, Runway Red, Aurora Black Pearl, and new shades Tan Beige and Denim Blue.
Interior Design: Practicality and Refinement
The interior of the Kia Tasman pickup truck mirrors the exterior’s innovative approach, introducing a new level of design quality to the pickup segment. Prioritizing purity and simplicity, the cabin is designed to be a reliable and enduring partner for users.
The robust and rugged interior space aligns perfectly with the character of a pickup truck. Symmetrical proportions and a concise layout create a sense of stability and balance within the cabin.
Alt text: Spacious and modern interior of the Kia Tasman pickup truck with panoramic display, honeycomb vents, and practical storage solutions.
Large air vents with a honeycomb pattern, a recurring motif in the interior design, emphasize ventilation functionality. A multi-function steering wheel and a minimalist lower center dashboard, along with strategically placed buttons, provide intuitive control over the Kia Tasman’s advanced technology. Luxurious shapes and details throughout the cabin elevate the standard for pickup truck interiors.
The state-of-the-art panoramic widescreen display, featuring 12.3-inch + 5-inch + 12.3-inch screens, provides drivers and passengers with 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, enhances the in-cabin entertainment experience.
To further support both work and leisure activities, the Kia Tasman pickup truck is equipped with innovative features including a large folding console table, dual wireless charging pads, and hidden under-seat storage bins providing a class-leading 33 liters of space. The Tasman also boasts best-in-segment headroom, shoulder room, and a generous 940mm of second-row legroom. Rear seats can recline between 22 and 30 degrees, ensuring a comfortable and spacious environment for all occupants.
Reflecting Kia’s commitment to sustainability, the Tasman incorporates ten must-have sustainability items, including bio-plastic crash pads, recycled PET fabric and bio-PU synthetic leather seats, BTX-free and bio-paint compositions, and recycled PET material for the interior carpet.
Interior trim options for the Kia Tasman pickup truck include 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 between two-tone color options like Onyx Black/Medium Gray and Deep Green/Terracotta Brown.
Kia Tasman Trims and Specifications: Tailored for Every Need
The Kia Tasman pickup truck is available in a double cab base model, along with X-Line and X-Pro trims. The X-Pro trim is designed for superior off-road performance, featuring a 28mm increase in ground clearance, totaling 252mm. It also includes 17-inch gloss-black wheels fitted with all-terrain tires. The X-Line trim offers larger 18-inch alloy wheels paired with highway and terrain tires.
Kia also offers customizable chassis cab variants to cater to specific business requirements, along with single cab options that maximize bed space by configuring the passenger compartment into a single row.
Customization is a key aspect of the Kia Tasman pickup truck, with a wide range of accessories designed to enhance both leisure and work activities. These accessories are standardized in design, innovative, and provide practical solutions, allowing owners to tailor their truck to their specific needs.
Four bed accessory configurations will be available: Single Decker, Double Decker, Sports Bar, and Ladder Rack, with the first three available at launch. In total, 13 accessory products will be offered, including two types of side steps and beadlock-style wheels.
The Tasman Single Decker features a canopy with butterfly doors for easy access and a roof rack suitable for a rooftop tent. The Tasman Double Decker includes 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 includes a ladder-type rack and is also compatible with rooftop tents.
Drivetrain and Performance: Power and Refinement
Built on a fully optimized body-on-frame platform, the Kia Tasman pickup truck will offer a range of powertrain options to suit different markets. In Korea, it will be available with a 281PS 2.5-liter petrol engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine delivers 421Nm of torque, enabling the Tasman to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 185km/h.
For the Australian market, the Tasman will feature a 210PS 2.2-liter diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, producing 441Nm of torque. This diesel engine achieves 0-100km/h in 10.4 seconds, with the same top speed.
In regions like the Middle East and Africa, customers can choose between the 2.5-liter petrol engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 2.2-liter diesel engine, available with either an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission, depending on the market.
The Kia Tasman pickup truck utilizes an optimized composite bush structure to mount the body to the frame, enhancing rigidity, body control, stability, and comfort. The double wishbone front suspension is designed to improve ride and handling in all conditions. The rear features a rigid axle with leaf springs for robust load-carrying capability, incorporating vertically mounted shock absorbers for effective damping and control, even under extreme suspension travel.
Kia’s Sensitive Damper Control (SDC) and Hydraulic Rebound Stop technology further enhance ride quality by minimizing cabin vibration and improving body control, even on rough terrain.
Pickup-Specific Features: Engineered for All Terrains
To ensure the Kia Tasman pickup truck meets the demands of off-road driving, the air intake is positioned within the fender, allowing for water fording up to 800mm deep at 7km/h. Waterproof connectors are used for critical interior parts to protect components in challenging conditions.
The Tasman’s all-terrain drivetrain technology has been rigorously tested in diverse environments, from Swedish tundra to Australian deserts and UAE’s Al Qudra desert, as well as steep inclines in the US and Korea.
Both X-Line and X-Pro trims come standard with all-wheel-drive, which is optional on the base model. The AWD system automatically adjusts to provide optimal traction and offers ECO, Smart, and Sport driving modes, with terrain modes available within these settings depending on the market.
The X-Pro model adds a Rock mode for enhanced performance on mountainous terrains. In the Middle East and Africa, Desert, Mud, Snow, and Rock modes are available on AWD variants. In Australia and other general markets, AWD variants include Sand, Mud, Snow, and Rock modes.
The X-Pro trim also features an automatically engaging rear Electronic Locking Differential (e-LD) and X-Trek mode. X-Trek mode enables low-speed off-road driving without manual acceleration or braking, facilitating smooth navigation on rough terrain. The e-LD enhances adaptability and control in off-road scenarios.
Kia’s Ground View Monitor (GVM) provides an additional layer of confidence when navigating challenging off-road terrain, using cameras and infotainment screens to display ground-level views for precise maneuvering in tight spots.
Practicality and Utility: Designed for Work and Play
The Kia Tasman pickup truck is packed with practical features designed to support small business owners and outdoor enthusiasts alike. 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 or laptops and a sliding cargo floor for convenient loading and unloading. Bed divider capabilities and an optional bedside mini table further enhance the Tasman’s versatility for work and camping.
Inside, the folding console table adds further utility, transforming the Kia Tasman pickup truck into a mobile workspace.
The Kia Tasman’s load bed measures 1,512mm long, 1,572mm wide (1,186mm between wheel arches), and 540mm deep, providing a best-in-class cargo capacity of 1,173 liters (VDA). With a multi-skeleton, reinforced bed structure, the Tasman can carry a maximum payload of 1,145kg in 2WD mode and tow up to 3,500kg.
Advanced Technology and Safety: For a Confident Drive
The Kia Tasman pickup truck offers a refined on-road driving experience, thanks to its chassis and suspension designed to handle harsh off-road conditions. Predictable handling and a comfortable ride make the Tasman enjoyable for everyday driving.
Enhanced sound-deadening materials, additional wind-sealing strips, and advanced noise extractor technology create a quiet and vibration-free cabin, a feature not commonly found in pickup trucks.
Kia Tasman users benefit from advanced safety technology, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Collision Warning, and Remote Parking Assist via Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). These systems are optimized with trailer profile functionality, allowing drivers to input trailer specifications for automatic adjustments to driving characteristics.
Global Debut and Market Launch
The Kia Tasman pickup truck has undergone rigorous testing, with 1,777 specific tests conducted over 18,000 evaluation rounds across diverse environments. Its global debut took place at the Jeddah Motor Show in the Middle East, alongside an online unveiling.
Models displayed at the Jeddah Motor Show included the Baseline Double Cab, X-Line Double Cab, X-Pro Double Cab, and X-Pro Double Cab Customized.
The Kia Tasman is slated to launch 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 pickup truck is poised to redefine the segment, offering a compelling blend of capability, innovation, and lifestyle appeal to customers worldwide.
