Kia Tasman Unveiled: 5 Things You Should Know About The Brand’s First Pickup Truck

The Tasman is built on a body-on-frame chassis and comes with customisable chassis cab options – single cab and double cab – based on your needs

Kia Tasman, the Korean automaker’s first-ever pickup truck built on body-on-frame chassis, has made its global debut. Apart from the practicality of a pickup truck, the Tasman also combines technology and practicality into one. It comes in both single-cab and double-cab configurations, and can be had in either a diesel or a petrol powertrain. Here are 5 things you should know about Kia’s first pickup truck.

Traditional Pickup Design But Very Kia

While the Kia Tasman has a typical pickup truck-like boxy design, it still has specific Kia elements which makes it stand out. To start with, it gets a prominent front grille with 5 vertical slats, along with vertically stacked headlights which are placed slightly behind at the edges. 

Combined with a muscular bumper design, the face of the Tasman looks appealing and bold. Along the side, the Tasman gets muscular wheel arch cladding and it sits on 17-inch (optional 18-inch) alloy wheels. At the rear, it gets C-shaped tail lights with a large stamped logo and the Tasman badging. 

While these design elements are not typical to the Kias that we see in India, the lighting elements, specifically the sharp DRLs, are signature of the brand, which we can also spot on the Tasman.

Now let’s have a look at its dimensions:

Adventure or Business? Best Of Both Worlds

To meet specific needs, the Tasman comes with customisable chassis cabs: a single cab option with enhanced bed space and a double cab layout that includes a rear passenger compartment. This pickup truck will also be available in four bed accessory configurations: Single Decker, Double Decker, Sports Bar, and Ladder Rack.

Apart from these customisations, it gets corner steps for easy access to the load bed, a power outlet for hand tools or laptops, and a sliding cargo floor that makes loading and unloading more convenient. 

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Modern Interiors & Tech Loaded

Inside, the Kia Tasman gets an upright dashboard design with honeycomb pattern AC vents. In between there’s a large folding console which has cup holders and storage area behind it. The main highlight of the Tasman’s interior is its triple display setup, which consists of a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, and a 5-inch display positioned between the two screens 

Other features on board the Tasman include an 8-speaker Harman Kardon sound system and dual wireless phone chargers. The Tasman also gets level 2 advanced driver assistance systems features (ADAS), and there's an underground camera (ground view monitor) which shows what’s underneath the bonnet of this pickup truck. 

Engine Options: Market Specific

Kia’s first pickup truck comes in both petrol and diesel engine options. The specifications are as follows:

In Korea, it will be offered with a 2.5-liter petrol engine, while the Australian market will feature a 2.2-liter diesel engine. However, in Middle Eastern and African markets, customers will have the option of both petrol and diesel powertrains.

Off Road Capabilities

Kia offers the Tasman with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup, but that’s not all. Like traditional pickup trucks, the Tasman features a leaf spring suspension system at the rear for enhanced load-carrying capability.

The air intake in the Tasman has been positioned inside its fender which allows it to have a water wading capacity of 800 mm. Its higher-spec X-Pro variant additionally gets X-Trek feature and electronic differential locking mechanism (e-LD). The X-Trek enables the vehicle to maintain a low speed off-road without the need for manual acceleration or braking. e-LD, on other hand, located in the rear differential, controls the locking and unlocking of the wheels based on traction, which is beneficial in off-road conditions.

Will It Be Launched In India?

Kia hasn’t confirmed the launch of the Tasman pickup truck in India. It will first go on sale in Korea by the first half of 2025, followed by introductions in markets like Australia, Africa, and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. However, if it were to be launched in India, it would rival the Toyota Hilux.

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