Report suggests four-pot power for Kia Tasman

KIA has already confirmed that it will launch its Tasman ute globally in 2025. What the South Korean manufacturer has not told us is what to expect under the bonnet.

Now, and according to a report published by The Korean Car Blog, it is clear the dual-cab utility will surface – at least initially – with a four-cylinder turbocharged diesel unit, likely the carryover Hyundai/Kia 2.2-litre R Series unit found in offerings including the Kia Sorento.

Assuming that is the case, the body-on-frame Kia Tasman will offer 148kW of power and 440Nm of torque, ranking it beneath the likes of the Ford Ranger/Volkswagen Amarok (154kW/500Nm), Isuzu D-Max/Mazda BT-50 and Nissan Navara (140kW/450Nm), Mitsubishi Triton (150kW/470Nm), and Toyota HiLux (150kW/500Nm).

Kia has confirmed that a hybridised Tasman will follow in due course, though it is not known if the powertrain for this model will be the 1.6-litre petrol-electric unit found in the Sportage and Sorento, or something with a little more mumbo.

The Korean Car Blog does not mention any indication of a V6 turbo-diesel rival to the likes of the Ford Ranger/Volkswagen Amarok, leaving the higher performing end of the dual-cab ute segment exclusively to the 3.0-litre powered pair.

Interestingly, Kia does have a plug-and-play V6 alternative available… The company produces a Euro6 compatible oversquare 3.0-litre mill outputting 184kW and 549Nm. It also has access to an inline ‘six’ from sister company Genesis, another 3.0-litre option producing a substantial 204kW/588Nm.

Kia is reportedly readying production of between 120,000 and 130,000 examples of the Tasman annually – with 10 per cent of those earmarked for Australia.

Last week Kia Australia has launched a new television commercial in which 20 Australia sporting icons get together to jostle over the name of the all-new model.

Airing on Sunday, March 3, the TVC campaign confirms Kia Australia’s entry into the highly competitive ute market, the only information of note in the Korean manufacturer’s press release that it is now officially accepting expressions of interest for the model.

“Kia Australia has always been very candid about our desire to bring a light commercial vehicle to the local market, so it is with great excitement that we are taking an important step towards it becoming a reality,” said Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith.

“We are now officially taking expressions of interest (EOI) on the Kia Australia website for both private and fleet customers, and we invite all ute-loving Australians to sign up and join us on the journey.

“As an incentive, the EOI group will be kept up to date of the latest news and developments from now, right up until its Australia launch in 2025.”

More details of the 2025 Kia Tasman utility will be announced closer to its global debut later this year.