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Kia Tasman | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Kia |
Model code | TK[1] |
Production | 2025 (upcoming) |
Assembly |
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Body and chassis | |
Class | Mid-size pickup truck |
Body style |
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Layout | |
Chassis | Body-on-frame |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 2.2 L turbo-diesel |
Transmission | 8 speed automatic gearbox |
The Kia Tasman is an upcoming mid-size pickup truck confirmed to be produced by South Korean manufacturer Kia in 2025. It will be built on a body-on-frame chassis, and will be powered by four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.[2]
It will be unveiled on 29 October 2024 at the Jeddah International Motor Show, in Saudi Arabia.[3]
The vehicle is named after the Tasman Sea, located between Australia and New Zealand. According to Kia, the name was chosen due to the importance of the Australian market for the vehicle.[4]
The Tasman will be produced in South Korea, with Australia targeted to be one of the main market for the vehicle. Kia claimed the Tasman will be "the most Australian vehicle" it has ever developed.[5] Kia Australia claimed a major involvement in the development of the pickup truck, and targeted around 10 percent of pickup truck market share in the country once the Tasman went on sale.[6]
The Tasman will be built on an all-new platform, and slated to compete with the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Hilux, and will match their braked towing capacity of 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) and a payload of around 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).[7][8]
The name 'Tasman' was confirmed in April 2024,[9] before the first official appearance of the Tasman on 23 April 2024, when Kia Australia released images showing the vehicle wrapped in artistic camouflage sticker designed by local artist Richard Boyd-Dunlop.[10]