Kia Tasman ute breaks cover

The Kia Tasman ute has been officially revealed for the first time, but it’s still wearing camouflage and the Korean brand is now talking about a 2025 debut instead of the late-2024 reveal previously communicated for its first ever pick-up.

Along with a trio of teaser images, Kia this morning released a one-minute video explaining its new Aussie outback-inspired camouflage.

Kia Australia has been at the forefront of the project and remains instrumental in the all-new ute’s development, hence its nameplate.

It’s been clear for a while now that the Tasman won’t follow the trend and go for an Americanised design like many of its established rivals, but will instead it'll take on a distinctly Korean look inspired by Kia’s SUV portfolio, especially the flagship EV9 and facelifted Sorento.

For starters, the headlights are set low and wide on the front fascia, positioned at the leading edge of the black wheel-arch trims and sitting directly above a bulbous bumper that’s awash with contours and creases.

Look carefully and you’ll see a pair of exposed tow points and tapered lower edges, which should help avoid touchdowns off-road.

Ground clearance looks competitive and we’re happy to see premium Continental CrossContact AX6 tyres on this pre-production vehicle, instead of the usual generic highway terrain tyres that most utes normally ride on as standard.

The AX6 sits somewhere between an H/T and a true A/T tyre and should therefore give the Tasman better grip on loose and/or wet surfaces without sacrificing on-road manners.

The tyres envelop a handsome set of alloy wheels, which is no surprise given the high-end variant teased here is a top-spec GT-Line.

The colourful camo provides a sense of scale for Kia’s answer to the Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton, which at first glance looks like it will match or even better the top-selling Ford Ranger in terms of size.

No new details have been announced as part of the latest Kia Tasman teaser, but most examples are expected to be powered by an enhanced version of Kia’s 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, with power and torque almost certain to eclipse the Sorento’s 148kW/440Nm outputs in the interests of performance, payload and towing capacity, which will match class-leaders at 3500kg.

Like them, the first Kia ute will be available with a full range of body styles and drivelines, plus an all-electric version by 2026.

But the Tasman will debut in flagship dual-cab 4x4 form and it seems Australia will be among the first markets to take delivery, alongside Korea, South Africa and the Middle East.

“Scheduled to make its debut in 2025, the Tasman marks Kia’s inaugural entry into the Light Commercial Vehicle arena with a phased rollout across key markets including Korea, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East,” said Kia today.

“The concept of ‘The Path Never Taken’ embodies the adventurous spirit of the Kia Tasman, which will inspire customers to embark on journeys filled with discovery and adventure in a vehicle that prioritises reliability and performance.”