Kia Tasman Is a New Rugged Pickup Due in a Few Months

To emphasize its ruggedness, the Korean automaker has a documentary series in the pipeline, which provides an in-depth look at its development process. The model has been tested in all kinds of terrains, ensuring optimum durability and performance, with Kia mentioning 1,777 specific tests conducted over 18,000+ rounds of evaluation.

The teaser for the first episode is out, and we shared it at the bottom of this story. The documentary will be released on July 22. According to the Korean automaker, the footage focuses on the off-road testing phase. upcoming episodes set to reveal towing, all-terrain durability, and deep-water wading trials, as well as on-track performance, handling, ride, and interviews with the development team.

"The Kia Tasman represents our unwavering dedication to innovation," commented the brand's R&D President, Heui Won Yang. "Every aspect of our R&D Division's capability has been channeled into creating a vehicle that not only lives up to its title as the first of its kind but also delivers performance that surpasses expectations."

Kia has spent a great amount of time developing and fine-tuning the Tasman, and a part of that went into the camouflage, too. The pattern depicted on teased prototypes was developed in partnership with Richard Boyd-Dunlop, who was inspired by Australia's diverse landscape, including the land and sea and the outback.

On the visual side, the Kia Tasman has a common silhouette with other mid-size pickups. However, the front fascia is quite different, with the company's designers taking a bold approach in shaping up the large grille and the vertical daytime running lights that are believed to have been inspired by the EV9 and Sorento. It has boxy proportions, large side mirrors, and vertical LED taillights, too, as well as boxy wheel arches and what should be a spacious bed.

Reports speak of the upcoming pickup truck from Kia utilizing the same architecture as the second-generation Mohave. The SUV is a body-on-frame proposal, which means that the Tasman will boast improved off-roading credentials compared to unibody models. We expect it to feature a clever 4x4 system that could be limited to the upper specs to keep the pricing in check, a low-range gearbox, and a dedicated suspension setup.

But what about the firepower? Officially, it is yet unknown what will power the adventurous Kia with an open-bed design. Unofficially, however, it will probably pack a diesel engine. Chances are it could be the brand's 2.2L CRDi, which should pump out over 200 horsepower. A gasoline unit is expected to join the offering, and it might be the same one used on the Sonata N-Line. The latter uses a 2.5L mill, making 290 horsepower.

Kia's Tasman was also spotted testing against a Ford Ranger Raptor in northern Europe not long ago, thus leading to speculation about a possible punchy motor that could join the powertrain family. Hyundai and Kia have a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 at their disposal, and the latter company has a turbodiesel V6 with a 3.0-liter displacement. As a result, some believe one of these units might make its way under the pickup's hood.

The Kia Tasman has been in the making for the last five years. This inevitably tells us that the Korean automaker cannot afford to launch a faulty pickup, so it should be not only capable off the beaten path but quite reliable, too. Rivals will include the Ford Ranger, the iconic Toyota Hilux, Isuzu's D-Max, and Mazda's BT-50. Hence, the Tasman needs to be very good if it wants to steal some sales from the competition, and knowing how Kia (and Hyundai) rolls these days, it will likely be a very interesting proposal in the workhorse segment.

Initial data revealed that the Korean car manufacturer will debut the Tasman sometime next year. However, more recently, Kia announced that it will launch in several selected markets in the first half of next year, subsequent to its premiere scheduled for the second half of 2024. This means we're a few months away from seeing it without any camouflage on its body while also learning everything about it, save probably for the pricing, which should be released later.

According to Kia, the Tasman will first launch in its home market of South Korea, and it will eventually touch down in Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. That's right. If you were unaware of it, the Tasman would not be available in Europe and North America, which is a pity, as it would've been an interesting product in the workhorse class. Would you want Kia to bring the Tasman to the United States, or do you think we have plenty of pickups here already?