Kia is ready to unveil its first-ever midsize pickup, taking on the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux
- The Kia Tasman appeared in a revealing video teaser, without any camouflage.
- The global debut will take place at the Jeddah International Motor Show on Oct 29.
- The midsize truck rides on a body-on-frame architecture, fitted with a diesel engine.
Kia confirmed that the new Tasman will premiere at the Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia, on October 29. The announcement was joined by new teasers, showing the midsize pickup without its usual camouflage wrap.
The lengthy teaser campaign of the Kia Tasman started in April 2024, following numerous spy shots of the ICE-powered pickup. The new video and photos are the most revealing yet, showing a black Tasman driving in the desert, and parked on a CGI field.
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The boxy silhouette and the upright nose are combined with pronounced fenders and vertically-stacked LEDs. We can also see a horn-like trim piece above the grille, connecting the front bumper with the hood. The truck has a dual-cab bodystyle, a standard-sized bed and a generous ground clearance.
Kia said that the Tasman addresses “the drawbacks typical of existing pickup truck designs”, without getting into specific. An earlier spy video revealed a high-tech interior, featuring a digital cockpit, a sunroof, heated seats and aluminum-style accents.
The Korean brand promises that the Tasman will bring “impressive off-road capability”, inheriting the all-terrain technology from the Kia Telluride SUV. However, unlike the latter which sits on a unibody architecture, the pickup is expected to share its ladder-frame underpinnings with the Kia Mohave.
We already know that the Tasman will be powered by a diesel engine. This is most likely the 2.2-liter four-cylinder CRDi, which generates 199 hp (149 kW / 202 PS) and 325 lb-ft (441 Nm) of torque in the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento. The company might also consider adding the option of a more potent 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel, although nothing has been confirmed at this point.
The Kia Tasman will rival the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, and VW Amarok in the midsize pickup segment, targeting 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs) of towing capacity and a 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs) payload.
The truck will be offered in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, Korea, Africa, and the Middle East. Prototypes of the Tasman have been spotted testing on US soil, but Kia clarified that this does not imply plans for future availability in North America, something that sounds highly unlikely.
