Kia Tasman: Korean pickup gets a name

In Australia, mid-size pickups such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux or Isuzu D-Max are popular. In the future, Korean car maker Kia also wants a piece of the profit pie.

There have already been many rumors about the name to take. Now the Korean automaker has confirmed that the truck will be called the Tasman. Earlier, in a teaser video, the Australian sports star philosophized about the features and name of the new truck in a hotel bar. The name Tasman could always be read between the lines. The name has already been patented in advance and also comes from the large island of Tasmania in the south of the Australian mainland and the Tasman Sea.

Technology and design from its SUV sibling

The Kia Tasman is scheduled to be delivered in 2024 and will enter the market in 2025. The Tasman will be offered worldwide, with Kia specifically targeting the Australian, Korean, African and Middle Eastern markets.

The pick-up, which has been manufactured under the TK model since 2020, is based on the frame of the standard level and is likely to use the technology and design of the cabin from the SUV Mohave, which was also sold in other markets under the name Borrego. The Tasman’s payload, which comes with a passenger car, can be in the standard one tonne range, as is a trailer load of 3.5 tonnes.

In terms of the car, the most likely option is a turbodiesel. A 257 hp and 571 Nm three-liter V6 diesel engine is currently at work in the Mohave. It can fit well as a top unit. A 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel is expected to be the base engine. The equivalent unit can be found in the Sorento and produces 194 hp and 440 Nm. Other features include independent front wheel suspension, a rigid leaf sprung axle with rear locking differential and adjustable and adjustable all-wheel drive. As a rule, only the rear wheels are driven. Kia has also announced two electric pick-ups by 2027, and an electric drive variant in the Tasman could already be one of them. Fans are also expecting a 3.3-liter biturbo V6 petrol engine with about 370 hp from the Kia Stinger to power the fierce Tasman variant as a companion to the Ford Ranger Raptor.

Australian customers can already register their interest in a new pickup on the national website. So the premiere should take place soon.