Key findings

• The Kia Tasman is a mid-size ladder-frame pickup truck that will be launched in 2025 and will be immediately capable of off-roading.
• Tasman is expected to launch with an inline four-cylinder engine; V6 could be added later. Four-cylinder turbodiesel also considered.
• Electric and hybrid Tasmans are not yet confirmed, but Kia is considering battery-powered variants if the initial internal combustion engine rollout goes well.

With the Ford Maverick Lobo, the highly anticipated Toyota Stout, and the Kia Tasman, it’s a great time to be a fan of small and midsize pickup trucks. Kia may not be a name you associate with pickups, but Kia’s sister company is Hyundai, and Hyundai is the automaker behind the Santa Cruz, a “lifestyle pickup” that we’ve found to be quite enjoyable. The upcoming Kia Tasman is set to launch in 2025, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about it, but there’s a lot we Do you know that too. Let’s break it down.

1 It is a mid-size pickup with ladder frame

The Kia Tasman is a midsize ladder-frame pickup truck, meaning it would fit into the same segment as the Chevy Colorado and Ford Ranger here in the U.S.; in other markets, the Toyota Hilux is the dominant competitor that the Tasman would have to beat. The Ford Maverick may have proven that there is a lot of demand for small, monocoque pickups, but it would make little sense for Kia to try to take market share away from its parent company by competing against the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

A midsize ladder frame allows Hyundai and Kia to enter a segment they currently don’t have a presence in. And yes, we know they’ve dabbled in midsize utility vehicles, but that’s not necessarily relevant to the typical pickup truck buyer looking for a midsize work or family vehicle and wanting a name they know and trust.

2 It is going global

Korea will get the Tasman first, of course, then South Africa, Australia and the Middle East. Everyone else will have to wait and see. As we reported when Kia first made the announcement, the language in the press release leaves some wiggle room, as it uses the words “markets such as.” We translate that to mean that South Africa, Australia and the Middle East are confirmed for a 2025 release, but a wider release in additional countries is not ruled out.. This means there is a good chance that the Tasman will be launched outside of these markets. However, that is all that Kia has promised so far.

3 A North American release has not yet been confirmed (but tests are being conducted in the US)

Kia has a number of hurdles to overcome if they want to launch the Tasman in the US in 2025. The 25% “chicken tax” is a major hurdle that dictates that these trucks will come to the US market with a significantly higher MSRP if Kia is unable to convert an American factory to produce the Tasman. So they haven’t promised an American release, but have been seen testing the truck in California. We would guess that Kia wants to launch the truck in the US, but doesn’t want to make a big announcement that they then have to backtrack on. Likewise, announcing a 2025 truck and then pushing it back to 2026 or even 2027 because you’re still building the factories to produce the truck domestically is not a good sign. Either way, we hope an announcement is coming soon.

4 The most robust Kia ever?

Kia says they put the Tasman through an incredible 18,000 test laps, covering countless miles of dirt outback and desert to ensure this thing is built for the long haul. Kias are generally considered reliable, but aren’t perceived by the public as particularly “rugged,” despite having launched some capable off-road vehicles like the Telluride and Sportage. Extensive testing is not only smart business, it’s also good marketing (and following the entire process in a documentary isn’t a bad idea either), and could position Kia as a serious contender in the off-road pickup market.

5 The basic model is suitable for off-road use

Kia explained that one of its goals in developing the Tasman is to produce a truck that’s off-road capable from the start. That means you won’t need to upgrade the Tasman with a special 4×4 package or anything like that to tackle rough terrain. It will launch with four-wheel drive as standard equipment on the base model, and will have enough ground clearance to use it in the Australian outback or in South Africa’s Kruger National Park – or hopefully here in Death Valley. The Tasman is designed to outperform the Santa Cruz in sand, snow and mud in its entry-level trim. That sounds like great news for outdoorsy types who wouldn’t rather spend six figures on a fully-equipped Jeep just to go on a camping trip. The Kia Tasman could well establish itself as the most affordable entry-level off-road capable truck.

6 It comes to market with an inline four-cylinder engine (and not much else)

Kia may eventually add the 3.8-liter V6 we know from the Telluride, which would be a good addition to the powertrain lineup should there be a U.S. release. But if the automaker is keeping it simple for the global launch, that means it’s sticking with four cylinders for now to meet Australian efficiency standards. Something like the 2.5-liter four-cylinder from the Kia Sorento could be a safe bet if they go with gasoline. It’s likely that the Tasman will launch with just one or two engines to begin with, and depending on how well the truck does in the market and whether Kia sees enough demand for a V6, more will follow.

7 A four-cylinder turbodiesel could be in the planning stages

The only information we have confirmed regarding the engine is that we are not getting V6 or V8 engines or hybrid or electric motors or anything else, just four cylinders with internal combustion engine. for startersBut considering the markets where the Tasman will make its debut, a four-cylinder diesel or turbodiesel seems a given. In the US, diesel is a fairly niche market. In South Africa and Australia, diesel-powered trucks, cars and SUVs remain very popular. We wouldn’t be surprised if the Tasman arrived in the desert with the 2.2-litre 4-cylinder Smartstream diesel engine found in the fourth-generation Kia Carnival. According to some sources, the 2.2 CRDi diesel engine has already been promised as the only launch engine, but we’ll wait until we hear it from Kia itself before betting big money on it.

8 But electric and hybrid Tasmans are being considered

Electric and hybrid Tasmans are not in development and have not been confirmed – we have not seen any prototypes or sketches at all. All we know is that Kia has said they will “consider” battery-powered variants of the Tasman if the initial internal combustion engine launch goes well. That sounds like a good idea. We have only just scratched the surface of the electric motor’s democratising effect on car power delivery, and Kia could be in a unique position to lead the segment with a capable, well-priced mid-size pickup.

If the Tasman proves to be a success, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a battery-powered model come out sometime in the next few years. The Ford F-150 Lightning had some major growing pains as the automaker realized it may have overestimated demand for a full-blown electric car. The hybrid Toyota Tacoma, on the other hand, is doing well, and that’s the truck the Tasman will compete with, so whether there will be an eventual hybrid Tasman is more a question of “when” than “if.”