10 Things We Learned After Our First In-Person Meeting With The Kia Tasman

Kia’s new Tasman pickup is a bit like Jaguar’s car-less car rebranding commercial – everyone is talking about it. Some folks love the different, left-of-field look. Others claim Kia tried too hard to be different, and took it a few steps too far.

We met the Kia Tasman in the flesh, kicked the tires, sat on the seats and pressed some buttons, and learned a lot more about the refinement and class of this new contender, which might be coming to the USA to start a fight with the Toyota Tacoma.

We were fortunate enough to take a closer look at the Kia Tasman following its international reveal in Jeddah, barely a month ago. This encounter provided some firm impressions of the new Kia’s plush cabin, features as well as potential, speculative plans for the Tasman’s US-bound future.

Work of Art, Or An Eyesore?

Judging by comments from some opinionated internet warriors, the new Tasman is anything but pretty. “It was designed by Stevie Wonder,” says one. “Looks like a Lego car I built when I was a kid,” says another. “My eyes just exploded from the ugliness,” quipped another.

Unlike the Jaguar rebranding effort, though, opinion appears divided on the Tasman’s looks. Many observers love the fresh and different approach. As one observer rightly points out: If Kia had created a same old-same old pick-up look for the new pickup, most punters would have criticized Kia for being boring, bland and unimaginative.

They could have copied existing designs, as some Chinese firms do, and simply offered a same-same, nothing-new alternative to the establishment, but that would also be disingenuous, and not part of the Kia ethos.

Instead, Kia went left field, creating something completely different and unique. It may not be a Picasso (yet), but at least Kia dared to be different, to give the establishment a middle finger and go its own way. This is commendable, whether you think it is an artwork, or not.

We won’t call it pretty, because it is not. But we like the bold new style, the chunky look of it, the fact that it will stand out in a crowd of pickups, and the sheer size. This is not just a different face, it can go the hard miles too, with real off-road abilities, and it can tow up to 7,700 lbs with its leaf-spring rear suspension. The payload is up to 2,600 lbs – this truck can do real truck stuff.

Thanks to Kia’s frequency selective Sensitive Damper Control (SDC) and Hydraulic Rebound Stop technology, it offers its occupants a new level of comfort and refinement in the plush cabin.

Talking about the cabin… here are 10 cool features we discovered in this plush new space.

Cool Interior Features

A lever revolution

The top Tasman Xpro derivative does away with the traditional gear lever mounted between the front seats. Instead, it features a stalk located on the steering column, next to the steering wheel, as per the trend in the brand’s EV range. The beefy stalk gets the stop/start button for the engine, and a twist-dial to select Drive or Reverse. A separate button selects Park. So what, you ask? Relocating the gear lever to the steering column frees up all the space in the center console, so Kia has added some cool features to this space.

On a charge

The Tasman not only features two USB-C ports for the front seat occupants, but also two wireless charging pads. Space is abundant, and if you are not charging your mobile, you can store half the office in that space.

Put it on the table

A cool Tasman party trick is the center console’s lid that can fold forward to allow a flat surface where you can place your paperwork, your food, your laptop or whatever else you would like to place on the handy flat surface.

On a recline

Rear seat passengers can recline the backrest of the seat from 22 to 30 degrees. Although this does compromise legroom as the entire seat slides forward to allow for the angle, it is a real handy feature for kids and long-distance driving. Rear passengers also get their own vents and adjustments for the aircon. There is a 240-volt power outlet and two USB-C charging ports.

Storage space

The rear seats lift (in a split configuration) to reveal a handy eight gallon storage space underneath. The plastic bin offers a secure space to transport items, hiding them away from prying eyes.

On a screen

The Tasman Xpro gets two 12.3-inch panoramic widescreen displays, flanking a smaller 5-inch display that shows the climate control settings and functions. The good news is that there are good old buttons located on the console that you can use to adjust temperature and other climate control functions.

On a trailer

The cabin features a trailer-brake control switch that you can use to fine-tune the braking sensitivity of the braking system on the trailer. As mentioned, the Tasman can tow a hefty 7,700 lb. Clearly, Kia had made a lot of provision for towing when it developed the Tasman. This is great thing if you plan to tow big stuff.

Sound off

The Xpro derivative has the option of an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, which links up with the Tasman’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Premium materials

The cabin’s tactile quality is a big step-up versus traditional foes like Toyota’s Tacoma and the Chevrolet Colorado. It is even slightly up on the class leading Ford Ranger. Bio-PU synthetic leather trim and recycled PET fabrics offer a premium, top-quality environment that elevates this pickup to a new level of pickup refinement and luxury. It really does offer a premium cabin experience.

Off-road screen setting

When you head off the beaten track, you can select the Off-Road view on one of the 12.3-inch panoramic screens. This view provides information on just about every vital bit of information you could need when driving off-road, including oil pressure and temperature, engine and transmission temperatures, pitch and roll angles, drive modes, steering angle and real-time traction updates per wheel.

A comprehensive camera set-up that offers 360 degree views around the vehicle, and even under the vehicle.

On the off-road topic, the Xpro model features a part-time 4WD system with a low-range transfer case, as well as a 4WD AUTO function, where the computer sorts out the all-wheel traction details. The Xpro rides on 17-inch rims fitted with all-terrain tires, and there is a very handy 10 inches of ground clearance, along with substantial recovery points and underbody protection.

It can ford through 32-inches of water, and an Electronic Locking Differential (e-LD) and X-Trek mode (effectively cruise control for off-road conditions) are standard on the Xpro. You also get specialist off-road driving modes like Rock, Sand, Mud and Snow.

Keeping it cool (and heated)

The Tasman Xpro’s luxurious, comfortable and ergonomically excellent front seats feature both heating and cooling functions.

The Tasman And The US Market

Tasman production is set to kick off in South Korea in May 2025, with some markets expecting to land the new pickup on Kia showroom floors by July 2025. This applies to markets in the Middle East, Australia and parts of Africa.

The Tasman was developed with a keen eye on the lucrative Middle Eastern and Australian markets, and the pickup is expected to sell really well there.

In those markets, a 2.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine (277 hp), or Kia’s well-proven 2.2-liter turbodiesel mill (207 hp), will do service. There seems to be no stick versions in the offing, with Kia’s eight-speed automatic gearbox apparently the only option.

According to speculation, the Tasman may only land in the USA at a later stage, as new drivetrains are currently in the development and testing cycle for US-specific derivatives.

Reading between the lines, we suspect Kia will eventually only offer a hybrid and possibly full EV version of the Tasman in the USA.

So it appears US customers will have to wait a bit longer to get a piece of the Tasman action. The good thing is that, by the time the pickup reaches the USA, any small teething issues should have been comprehensively resolved.

Kia has been working on the Tasman project since 2020, and the new platform has undergone extensive development work on all surfaces and in all conditions, from the Australian Outback to on-track performance. If there are any teething issues, they will be few and very far between.

Some internet pundits claim that Kia is new to the pickup segment, and that the company is navigating unchartered waters with the new Tasman.

That’s so not true. Kia has been producing the K2500 and K2700 workhorse pickup since 1980, and nowadays, there is even an all-electric version available in South Korea.

An even lesser-known fact is that Kia has been the official vehicle supplier for the South Korean military since 1976. We’re not talking just passenger vehicles… Kia produces a full range of armored off-road vehicles for the military, trucks, you name it.

They are so good at it that more than 20 other countries also use Kia military vehicles in their armed forces.

Quite the pedigree, and certainly not a first-time pickup producer by any stretch of the imagination.