Kia presented her first tasman pickup: what is known about the novelty

With the growing popularity of pickup trucks around the world, more and more automakers are turning their attention to this market segment. So the South Korean giant Kia is not standing aside and will soon present its first Tasman pickup to the world. To fuel interest in the new product, the company released a 30-second video clip showing footage of the pickup truck being tested in the Australian desert.

Tasman is designed to win back a worthy place for Kia in the segment of medium-sized pickups and advance the sales of such cars asFord Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200.

Design

The manufacturer showed a pickup covered with a colorful camouflage film that hides some decorative elements. However, you can already see the general silhouette of the Tasman and the curves of the body. It is safe to say that not everyone will like the exterior of the Korean pickup truck. But it definitely attracts attention, is memorable and evokes emotions. Which was probably Kia's goal.

First of all, the hexagonal wheel arches with large black overlays, a high chopped hood with powerful radiator grills and futuristic vertical headlights catch the eye. In general, the first Kia pickup has a massive and deliberately brutal appearance.

Construction and power units

The Tasman is likely to be based on the Kia Mohave frame SUV. The manufacturer claims that more than 1500 different tests and trials were conducted during the design of the new pickup to make the Tasman as durable and reliable as possible.

A 2.2-liter CRDi four-cylinder diesel engine developing 200 hp is expected as the basic power plant. and 441 Nm of torque. This engine can be found in many Kia and Hyundai models. In addition, the manufacturer has a 3-liter turbodiesel V6 in its arsenal.

There is also information that the top versions of the pickup truck will be equipped with a 3.5-liter biturbo gasoline V6, so that the new product can compete on an equal footing with such monsters as the Ford Ranger Raptor.

Entering the market

The full world premiere of the Kia pickup is scheduled for the second half of 2024. And it will go on sale in the first half of 2025. First, Tasman will debut at home in South Korea, and then sales will begin in other countries. It is known that the company makes a big bet on the markets of Australia and Southeast Asia. But its appearance in Europe is not excluded.