The Kia Tasman has been designed to push the boundaries of what’s possible from a pickup and invites customers to ‘Dive into a New Dimension.’ With its purposeful design and cutting-edge technology, combined with class-leading convenience features and an ultra-spacious, comfortable cabin, the Tasman is poised to redefine standards in the sector, allowing drivers to explore new horizons.
Leveraging more than five decades of expertise developing special-purpose vehicles, including off-roaders, the Kia Tasman is a truly transformative pickup truck that effortlessly meets the needs of both work and leisure activities.
Progressive Pickup to Support a Broader Lifestyle
“Kia’s first-ever pickup truck was created from the ground up to transform the market and respond to the growing preference for lifestyle-oriented trucks with advanced features,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO at Kia.
“Created especially for explorers, adventurers and people who like to get things done, the Kia Tasman is designed to serve as a dependable companion in every situation,” said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design.
Habib added further, “Solid and capable, its design begins with an honest form, using simple and rugged elements to capture a spirit of practicality. The Kia Tasman is a pickup truck that effortlessly blends lifestyle and utility, and represents our commitment to always bring bold and innovative ideas to our customers.”
Interior Design – Purity and Practicality Combined
Just as the Kia Tasman’s exterior aesthetic breaks free from conventional thinking, the pickup’s interior introduces a bold new dimension of design quality for pickup customers. Purity and simplicity are prioritized in equal measure through a practical cabin that will remain a dependable partner to the user through the years.
Kia Tasman Trims and Specifications
The Kia Tasman is offered as a double cab base model and in X-Line and X-Pro trim. The X-Pro provides superior off-road performance thanks to its 28mm higher ground clearance, which totals 252mm. It is equipped with 17-inch gloss-black wheels with all-terrain tires, while X-Line features larger 18-inch alloy wheels paired with highway and terrain tires.
Additionally, Kia provides customizable chassis cab variants to meet specific business needs, along with single cab options that optimize bed space by reconfiguring the passenger compartment into a single row layout.
Drivetrain – Superior Performance and Comfort
In regions, such as the Middle East and Africa, customers can choose between the 2.5-litre petrol engine equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 2.2-litre diesel engine with a choice of an eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions (depending on market).
The capabilities provided by the front and rear suspension units are significantly enhanced by Kia’s frequency selective Sensitive Damper Control (SDC) and Hydraulic Rebound Stop technology. These further minimize vibration transmitted to the cabin and improve body control and comfort, even on the roughest terrain.
Pickup-Specific Features – Safe Driving on All Terrains
Both the X-Line and the X-Pro are equipped with all-wheel-drive as standard, which is optionally available on the base model. The AWD system switches automatically to the configuration required to provide optimum traction on different road surfaces and offers three driving modes – ECO, Smart and Sport – with various terrain modes available within these settings depending on the relevant market.
Kia’s Ground View Monitor (GVM) provides drivers with a further level of confidence while traversing challenging off-road terrain. By utilizing the Kia Tasman’s camera and infotainment screens, the technology shows what is going on at ground level, allowing the driver to manoeuvre the vehicle precisely in tight areas.
Advanced Technology – Play Everywhere
Ensuring that every element of the Kia Tasman’s chassis and suspension has been developed to soak up punishment across harsh off-road terrain also delivers excellent benefits for on-road driving. Predictable, engaging handling and a comfortable ride ensure that the Kia Tasman is a pickup that can be enjoyed to the full during.
Even on long highway journeys, features such as enhanced sound-deadening materials, additional wind-sealing strips and advanced noise extractor technology provide a hushed, vibration-free cabin ambience not typically available in the pickup truck sector.
Kia Tasman users can also benefit from the latest technology to help keep them safe on every journey. Not only do the pickup’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) offer features such as lane keeping assist, blind spot collision warning and remote parking assist through Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2), they have also been optimized with trailer profile functionality. This function enables the specification of the trailer to be incorporated into the pickup’s ADAS, which then automatically optimizes driving characteristics accordingly.
“The all-new Kia Tasman presents an exciting new opportunity for Kia globally, and indeed in South Africa,” comments Paul Turnbull, CEO, Kia South Africa. “We are hard at work to make the Tasman’s local introduction a reality, and based on current planning, we aim to do this in the second half of 2025.”