From out of left field, Kia has announced it would be launching a brand new pick-up truck sometime next yr. It’s called the Tasman, named after the island of Tasmania in Australia, and is claimed to “redefine the concept of a life-style pick-up.”
This statement, together with the brand calling it a “C-segment pick-up truck”, initially suggests that this may merely be a rebadge of the passenger car-based Hyundai Santa Cruz. Nevertheless, it’s been reported that Kia is as a substitute going it alone and constructing a correct body-on-frame one-tonne truck, just like the all-conquering Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton. These reports were backed up by spyshots of a way more boxy, high-riding prototype in comparison with the more road-biased Hyundai.
All this tracks with the confirmation that, unlike the North America-only Santa Cruz, the Tasman might be sold in global markets like Australia, Africa and the Middle East – regions that overwhelmingly prefer ladder-frame trucks over their monocoque brethren. This, in fact, raises the chance that the truck might be offered in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand (and yes, Malaysia too) where one-tonne trucks reign supreme.
No technical details have been released, but Kia already has the constructing blocks for a good pick-up, not least the two.2 litre R four-cylinder turbodiesel long utilized in models just like the Sorento and Carnival. In its latest form, it produces 202 PS and 440 Nm of torque, which is competitive – if not class-leading – with other models within the one-tonne truck segment. A lower 177 PS/431 Nm tune also exists, powering the Hyundai Staria. The mill is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard.
Kia also has access to a plug-in hybrid powertrain to fulfill rising demand for electrified pick-up trucks. This pairs a 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol four-pot with a 90 hp electric motor, which within the Sorento develops a complete output of 264 PS and delivers an all-electric range of 51 km because of a 13.8 kWh battery. Such a powertrain will help the Tasman compete with the Ranger PHEV.
Past spyshots and videos have shown a big double-bed pick-up that bears all of the hallmarks of traditional one-tonne models, including an upright design with a lot of angular lines and chiselled surfaces. Added to which can be the most recent Kia design cues, resembling a large “tiger nose” grille and vertical headlights, just like the facelifted Sorento and Carnival.
There are also some distinctive touches, like thick black body cladding that only covers the upper a part of the fenders. Elsewhere, you’ll discover a solid rear axle and leaf springs on the back, while a toggle for choosing two-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and low-range all-wheel drive is positioned on the centre console. This hints at how seriously the Korean carmaker is taking constructing a rugged truck for harsh environments.
Kia’s latest one-tonne truck was first announced back in 2021 as a “strategic” vehicle for emerging markets. That is considered one of two pick-ups being developed, the opposite being a pure electric model that can likely tackle full-size US rivals just like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Chevrolet Silverado EV and Tesla Cybertruck.
The post Kia Tasman teased – latest Toyota Hilux-rivalling pick-up truck confirmed for Australia; ASEAN too? appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
