Heavily layers of psychedelic disguise makes spotting rear facia cues difficult, though on closer inspection, a C-shaped motif has seemingly been decided on for the light clusters. Image: Kia Australia
Officially shown for the first time in April, Kia has released the latest series of teaser images depicting the Tasman bakkie, including a video showing elements of its development process.
Confirmed for a second half of the year unveiling, followed by formal market debuts in 2025, the details, released by Kia Australia, don’t show any new exterior elements as evidenced by the production model’s still heavy psychedelic wrap the brand says represents its “adventurous spirit”.
Resembling both the electric EV9 SUV and down the side, the Jeep Gladiator, a first sighting of the rear has, however, come to the fore not only via the video, but also a static image.
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Unsurprisingly, the latter, a screengrab from the clip, provides little detail of the final design, though on closer inspection, the just visible reflector of the taillight cluster suggests a C-shape motif has been opted for.
Part of a series called “One More Round” that will be released from now until October, the first references the Tasman’s towing, durability and terrain testing, both on and off-road, said to have taken place across 18 000 rounds of evaluations.
At the same time, 1 777 specific tests were carried out as part of what Kia’s Research and Development President, Heui Won Yang, describes as “our unwavering dedication to innovation”.
“Every aspect of our R&D division’s capability has been channelled into creating a vehicle that not only lives up to its title as the first of its kind, but also delivers performance that surpasses expectations,” Heui said in a statement.
The end of the “One More Round” campaign suggesting a late October or early November reveal, the Tasman, as known by now, will ride on a body-on-frame platform seemingly not shared with the outgoing Mohave SUV as previously alleged.
Shown so far only as a double cab despite a single cab and cab-and-a-half having been mentioned, the Tasman will have a reported payload of 1 000 kg depending on the bodystyle, and a tow rating of 3 500 kg.
According to carsguide.com.au, both these were described as non-negotiable by Kia Australia’s Head of Product Planning Roland Rivero, along with the option of rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive, plus a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
In addition, motivation will come solely from the four-cylinder 2.2-litre R-series turbodiesel engine used in the Sorento and Carnival as the 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 in the Mohave had been model specific and not shared with any other Kia model, or used by sister brand Hyundai.
As such, a six-cylinder rival for the Ford Ranger and its twin, the Volkswagen Amarok, won’t be happening due in likely part to the engine’s age and stringent emissions regulations it is unlikely to adhere to.
Set to be released first in South Korea and Australia where the majority of the development has taken place, the Tasman has all but been locked-in for South Africa from next year with exact details to be announced then.
“Where we position the Tasman will be very important. We need to show respect to the bakkie market in South Africa in determining where it will fit in,” former Kia South Africa CEO Gary Scott told The Citizen on the sidelines of the facelift Picanto launch in Cape Town in April.
“The fact that the Kia brand has taken so long for this product to come into fruition shows that we have big aspirations. Yes, the Tasman name obviously makes it relevant to Australia, but I think it is just as relevant in South Africa”.
Asked about the Tasman days before, Kia South Africa General Manager for Marketing, Christo Valentyn, said management in the Middle East under which South Africa falls, is “very much aware of what the needs are in South Africa” and that it is working closely to find the ideal specification for the local market.
“There have been multiple entrants in [the bakkie segment] and you can see from their success or lack thereof, that it is a tough segment to enter,” Valentyn told The Citizen on the side-lines of the facelift Seltos’ reveal.
“[However], we remain cautiously optimistic that the product, from an engineering and mechanical perspective, will be more than suitable for the country, however, it is still way too early to make a call [regarding specification]”.
Asked about the timeline of the Tasman’s now confirmed world reveal, Valentyn said, “Naturally there is a process involving test models and homologation, and then you have to build a range that you can position comparatively. But, if all things work out the way they are supposed to, it is a likely introduction for 2025, but not earlier than that”.
With the “One More Round” campaign now officially launched, expect more intricate details to be revealed on 22 July.
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