The Kia Tasman’s design has proved polarising, but the Korean brand says it didn’t want its new ute to look like anything else.
“The expressive design that we created is obviously with the market being so well established, we had to create something new,” said John Buckingham, head of Kia Next Design Exterior Group, to Australian media.
“So it’s going to be a new product with a new character.
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“The real basis of the car is based on what the customer does with it and how the customer uses it, so our design process was reflective of that, and what you see is reflective of those kind of use cases.
“We wanted to make sure that it reflected its functionality and also give this very unique, clear look.”
That boxy body, for example, affords the Tasman what Kia claims is class-leading second-row space and comfort including headroom and shoulder room.
For greater comfort, the Tasman will be available with rear seats that slide and recline between 22 and 30 degrees, while under the rear seats there’s 33L of storage.
The Tasman is also the widest and tallest vehicle in its segment, and the second-longest behind only the niche Jeep Gladiator.
It rides on an identical 3270mm wheelbase to the top-selling Ford Ranger but a longer rear overhang means its tub is longer, deeper and wider than the dual-cab Ranger’s.
The controversial wheel-arch extensions at the rear disguise the fuel filler door on one side and a lockable storage compartment on the other.
Kia will offer different wheel-arch treatments in Australia, though these more conventional items will miss out on the handy storage.
The company will offer a wide range of colours for the Tasman, including a pair of new finishes debuting on the ute.
However, all three Tasmans shown at its Australian reveal were finished in black, leading to questions as to whether Kia was trying to downplay the visual impact of the vehicle.
Mr Buckingham refuted this, saying, “It’s not a decision to shy away from this bold and progressive-looking vehicle.”
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