Kia Tasman teased – new Toyota Hilux-rivalling pick-up truck confirmed for Australia; ASEAN too?
![](https://paultan.org/image/2024/04/Kia-Tasman-spyshot-screenshot-1200x628.png)
From out of left field, Kia has announced it will be launching a new pick-up truck sometime next year. It’s called the Tasman, named after the island of Tasmania in Australia, and is said to “redefine the concept of a lifestyle pick-up.”
This statement, along with the brand calling it a “C-segment pick-up truck”, initially suggests that this will merely be a rebadge of the passenger car-based Hyundai Santa Cruz. However, it’s been reported that Kia is instead going it alone and building a proper body-on-frame one-tonne truck, similar to the all-conquering Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton. These reports were backed up by spyshots of a far more boxy, high-riding prototype compared to the more road-biased Hyundai.
All this tracks with the confirmation that, unlike the North America-only Santa Cruz, the Tasman will be sold in global markets like Australia, Africa and the Middle East – regions that overwhelmingly prefer ladder-frame trucks over their monocoque brethren. This, of course, raises the possibility that the truck will be offered in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand (and yes, Malaysia too) where one-tonne trucks reign supreme.
No technical details have been released, but Kia already has the building blocks for a decent pick-up, not least the 2.2 litre R four-cylinder turbodiesel long used in models like the Sorento and Carnival. In its latest form, it produces 202 PS and 440 Nm of torque, which is competitive – if not class-leading – with other models in the one-tonne truck segment. A lower 177 PS/431 Nm tune also exists, powering the Hyundai Staria. The mill is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard.
Kia also has access to a plug-in hybrid powertrain to meet rising demand for electrified pick-up trucks. This pairs a 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol four-pot with a 90 hp electric motor, which in the Sorento develops a total output of 264 PS and delivers an all-electric range of 51 km thanks to a 13.8 kWh battery. Such a powertrain will help the Tasman compete with the Ranger PHEV.
Past spyshots and videos have shown a large double-bed pick-up that bears all the hallmarks of traditional one-tonne models, including an upright design with lots of angular lines and chiselled surfaces. Added to that are the latest Kia design cues, such as a wide “tiger nose” grille and vertical headlights, similar to the facelifted Sorento and Carnival.
![Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 1 Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 1](https://paultan.org/image/2024/04/Kia-Tasman-spyshot-screenshot-1.png)
![Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 2 Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 2](https://paultan.org/image/2024/04/Kia-Tasman-spyshot-screenshot-2.png)
![Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 3 Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 3](https://paultan.org/image/2024/04/Kia-Tasman-spyshot-screenshot-3.png)
![Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 4 Kia Tasman spyshot screenshot 4](https://paultan.org/image/2024/04/Kia-Tasman-spyshot-screenshot-4.png)
There are also some distinctive touches, like thick black body cladding that only covers the upper part of the fenders. Elsewhere, you’ll find a solid rear axle and leaf springs at the back, while a toggle for selecting two-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and low-range all-wheel drive is located on the centre console. This hints at how seriously the Korean carmaker is taking building a rugged truck for harsh environments.
Kia’s new one-tonne truck was first announced back in 2021 as a “strategic” vehicle for emerging markets. This is one of two pick-ups being developed, the other being a pure electric model that will likely take on full-size US rivals like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Chevrolet Silverado EV and Tesla Cybertruck.
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