Breaking Into the Wild: The 2025 Kia Tasman Reimagines the Global Pickup
Kia chose symbolic, opposite ends of the globe for its first pickup’s coming-out party—Hobart, Tasmania and the Jeddah Motor Show in Saudi Arabia—underscoring the brand’s desire to conquer multiple markets at once. The midsize truck rides on a robustbody-on-frame chassisand was“first unveiled on October 29, 2024”at those simultaneous events, a fact that hints at the strategic importance of the new nameplate for Kia’s global expansionbody-on-frame chassis.
Kia is offering two tried-and-tested engines, both borrowed and retuned from within the Hyundai-Kia empire.
The numbers come straight from the truck’s international reveal, where Kia confirmed the“live rear axle, rear leaf springs, and body-on-frame construction for optimal toughness”live rear axle.
Rugged by Design: X-Pro & XTREK
For mud-hungry buyers, Kia will sell an X-Pro grade that stacks functional kit—reinforced suspension, terrain modes, and a rear locking diff—on top of the standard selectable 4WD reinforced suspension.
Those wanting factory-fitted tech help get XTREK mode, Ground-View Monitor cameras, and a chassis validated across brutal off-road test loops Ground-View Monitor.
Inside, an SUV in Work Boots
Step into the Tasman and you’re greeted by dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a folding console table that doubles as a mobile desk folding console table. Australian reviewers say the cabin delivers “class-leading interior dimensions,” including excellent second-row legroom and thoughtful under-seat storage class-leading interior dimensions.
Market March: Where You Can—And Can’t—Buy One
Kia will roll the truck out first in Korea, Australia, Africa and West Asia during the “first half of 2025,” while North America remains off the table because the 25 percent U.S. “chicken tax” would gut competitiveness 25 percent U.S. “chicken tax”.
Down under, Kia Australia targets 20,000 annual sales and a mid-2025 showroom arrival, a volume that could catapult the brand to second overall in that market 20,000 annual sales.
Trims, Prices, and Fleet Appeal
Entry-level S and SX grades are aimed at commercial buyers, with rear-wheel drive available for value seekers. Reviewers note pricing that “starts at $38,010 and rises to $77,990 for the top-spec X-Pro,” placing the Tasman squarely in Ranger and HiLux territory starts at $38,010.
Personalization Nation
Kia’s online configurator lets customers “personalize every detail—from trims to color—before production, though actual spec can vary by region,” a nod to the brand’s new emphasis on lifestyle-driven sales personalize every detail.
Where the Tasman Lands in 2025
Analysts see a crowded field, but Kia’s long warranty, polished cabin, and sturdy mechanicals give it a fighting chance. Australian motoring clubs already report 800 mm water-wading and 252 mm ground clearance on X-Pro models, rivaling class leaders 800 mm water-wading.
The Road Ahead
No EV variant is confirmed yet, but insiders say Kia is “concentrating on an electric truck for the U.S. by 2027,” indicating the Tasman is merely the first domino in a broader strategy electric truck for the U.S. by 2027.
From twin-continent reveal to class-leading tech, the 2025 Kia Tasman isn’t just a new ute—it’s Kia’s declaration that the pickup world is officially open for disruption.
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