The Kia Tasman wants to challenge the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux

Kia is joining the pickup truck game as it unveils the all-new Tasman at the Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia.

The first pickup truck in the Korean automaker’s catalog, Kia says that the Tasman is a response to the continuously growing interest in lifestyle-oriented pickup trucks that are packed with features, while also catering to customers who need these vehicles for business.

Size-wise, the Kia Tasman measures at 5,410mm long, 1,930mm wide, and 1,920mm tall. This puts it at the midsize pickup truck segment, making it compete directly with the likes of the globally-popular Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.

Looking at its exterior, Kia has gone all-out with ruggedness with the tough lorry-like design. Sculpted lines give the Tasman an overall tough and muscular vibe.

In front is the brand’s Tiger Face featuring a large front grille and vertical headlights, while the side profile is very boxy and slabbed. The fenders are large and can actually be opened to be used for storage. Toward the back, you’ll find a large Kia logo embedded into the tailgate, and a C-shaped taillight signature.

Its cargo bed measures at 1,512mm long, 1,572mm wide, and 540mm deep. Kia says this provides a best-in-class 1,173 liters of cargo capacity with a payload capacity of 1,195 kg (in 2WD mode) and a class-standard 3,500 kg towing capacity.

The bed is also accessible either by your usual tailgate opening, or via corner steps. It also features a 220 or 240V power socket (depending on the market) which can be used to power tools or other devices as needed. It also features a sliding cargo floor for easier loading and unloading of items, as well as a mini table for items such as cups or a bluetooth speaker.

Opening the doors brings you into a futuristic-looking cabin as with other Kia models, but with touches of ruggedness which is what majority of pickup truck buyers want.

As with other Kia products, there’s a panoramic wide display that houses a trio of screens—12.3-inches each for the driver’s digital display and infotainment system, and 5-inches for an info display. There’s also a console table which can be used for laptops, dual wireless phone chargers, and various hidden storage bins.

While many brands are pushing for electrified pickup trucks these days, Kia decided to go traditional with two engine options under the hood—either petrol and diesel.

The petrol-powered option is a turbocharged 2.5-liter G4KIII engine that produces 281 horsepower and 421 Nm of torque, while what is most likely to be a popular choice is the turbodiesel 2.2-liter D4HIII engine that produces 210 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque. 

Both powertrains are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with the diesel having the additional option of a 6-speed manual.

These powertrains come standard with Eco, Smart, and Sport driving modes, while the AWD variants have various selectable terrain modes—Rock, Sand, Mud, Snow, and Desert—depending on the market. The X-Pro variant is also equipped with an automatic rear electronic locking differential.

Kia is also proud of the fact that this can wade through 800mm of water at speeds of below 7 kph. Water ingress prevention measures such as waterproofing of vital parts have also been done. 

The Kia Tasman is certainly an interesting model especially with the lack of body-on-frame pickup trucks from Korean automakers. This one will launch first in South Korea within the first half of next year, with markets such as Australia, Africa, the Middle East to follow soon after. As for the Philippines, maybe, especially with the strong demand for pickups in our archipelago.