Kia is set to reveal its first Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival during the second half of 2024, and it has teased the ute being put through its paces in Australia.
The South Korean brand says the Tasman has been tested more than 18,000 times against almost 1800 criteria.
A check of the registration plate of this particular prototype reveals a tare mass of 2271kg and a gross vehicle mass of 3250kg.
As Australia is expected to be one of the largest markets for the Tasman, Kia plans to launch the ute locally shortly after it goes on sale in its home market of South Korea throughout the first half of 2025.
While Kia is yet to confirm further details about the Tasman, prior reports have given us a good idea of what to expect from the South Korean-made dual-cab ute.
A four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine will power the Tasman, expected to be a 2.2-litre unit which is either closely related or identical to the engine offered in the Sorento.
Kia won’t launch the Tasman with a six-cylinder engine or hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, however these could debut further into the model’s lifecycle.
The Tasman will ride on a body-on-frame chassis, with disc brakes front and rear – setting it apart from the majority of its rear drum brake-shod rivals.
With the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux as benchmarks, it’s expected the Kia Tasman could match their 3500kg braked towing capacity and offer a payload around 1000kg.
Interior photos have also shown it’ll have a selectable full-time four-wheel drive mode, also like its rivals.
A five-star ANCAP safety rating is “non-negotiable” for Kia, due to many Australian fleets requiring the top score for the vehicles they own.
Kia has previously said it’s targeting for the Tasman to account for 10 per cent Australia’s light commercial vehicle sales, or around where the Isuzu D-Max currently sits.
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