Click to enlargeKia has released official teaser images of its first-ever pick-up truck, the Tasman. Named after the ‘rugged beauty and pioneering spirit’ of Tasmania, the island at the southernmost tip of Australia, the truck you see here wears an Australia-inspired camouflage wrap.

Developed in collaboration with renowned artist Richard Boyd-Dunlop hailing from Australia and New Zealand, the wrap – themed around ‘The Path Never Taken’ – visualises a journey of inspiration encountered while driving along the coast and across the outback. It draws on the mixed-media artist’s adventures, hitching rides in the back of utes across Australia.

Known for his unique artistic style and ability to blend various media to create visually bold and powerful collaborations, Boyd-Dunlop captures elements of land and sea with the Tasman camo wrap. The finish combines the ‘fiery hues of the outback with commanding blues that pay homage to Australia’s influential surf culture’.

“Our Tasman pickup truck embodies Kia’s commitment to design and innovation, as well as its spirit of adventure. Artist Richard Boyd-Dunlop crafted an exclusive camouflage design, with the support of the Kia design team, that depicts a journey and reflects an essence of adventure that is unique to the Tasman,” said Karim Habib, executive VP and head of Kia Global Design.

 

 

Kia has confirmed that the Tasman is scheduled to make its debut in 2025, and the C-segment pick-up truck’s launch strategy will be phased globally, including key markets such as South Korea, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Conspicuously absent from the list of named markets is ASEAN, which member Thailand is one of the world’s most important one-tonne pick-up truck markets.

“In addition to effortlessly fulfilling the role of a work-orientated pickup, the Tasman is designed to meet customers’ diverse personal needs. Suitable for a demanding 24/7 lifestyle, Kia’s versatile truck will support even the most extreme leisure activities,” Kia says.

Click to enlargeNo technical details have been released, but Kia already has the building blocks for a decent pick-up, not least the 2.2-litre turbodiesel long used in models like the Sorento SUV and Carnival MPV. In its latest form, the R engine produces 202 PS and 440 Nm of torque, which is competitive but not class-leading in the one-tonne truck segment.

Kia also has access to a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which pairs a 1.6-litre turbo-four with a 90 hp electric motor, which in the Sorento develops a total output of 264 PS and an all-electric range of 51 km thanks to a 13.8 kWh battery. A PHEV truck sounds alien to us, but Ford has a Ranger PHEV for Europe and Australia.

The Tasman is definitely not a rebadge of the car-based Hyundai Santa Cruz. Also unlike the Hyundai compact truck, which is only for North America, Kia’s pick-up truck is a global product, and that also means that the Tasman has to be tough and robust. What do you think the Tasman and Kia’s move to enter the pick-up truck market? By the way, there will be another truck from the company, a bigger EV.

GALLERY: Kia Tasman spyshots

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