The Kia Tasman is the brands first ever pickup truck

Kia doesn't have much experience with pickup trucks but that is not stopping them from going head-first in this forbidden territory. The Kia Tasman is the brand's maiden pickup truck and will directly lock horns with the tried and tested Toyota Hilux, America's favourite Ford Ranger and many more. In addition to single-cab and double-cab body types, Kia will also offer a chassis cab that may be customized by company owners.

The Kia Tasman has a wheelbase of 3270mm and measures 5410mm in length and 1930mm in width. The Tasman X-Line and X-Pro models are 1890mm and 1920mm tall, respectively, while the standard model is 1870mm high.

In addition to a strong bumper, the Tasman has stuck to the basics and has adopted the boxy design with a squarish face, five vertical slats in the grille, and vertically stacked headlights. The Tasman has a large tailgate, a bumper with built-in stairs, and a standard-sized bed with massive taillights on the rear.

The new vehicle will be offered with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmissions, depending on the market. The 2.5-litre petrol engine that powers the Tasman in Korea generates 281PS and 421Nm of torque. It will reach 100 kph in eight and a half seconds. The Tasman's 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine in Australia produces 210PS and 441Nm of torque. Although it takes 10.4 seconds to reach 100 kph, its peak speed is the same. The Middle Eastern and African countries will have both powertrains to choose from.

According to Kia, the Tasman dual-cab ute will come in three different models: the standard model, the road-focused Tasman X-Line, and the off-road-ready Tasman X-Pro. While the Tasman X-Line and X-Pro versions are all-wheel drive only, the entry-level Kia Tasman will be offered with both two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

The Tasman has a robust body-on-frame design. The Kia Tasman will be offered with four bed accessory configurations: Single Decker, Double Decker, Sports Bar and Ladder Rack. The pickup boasts 17-inch gloss-black wheels with all-terrain tyres, while the X-Line features larger 18-inch alloy wheels paired with highway and terrain tyres.

Due in part to its 252mm ground clearance - 28mm more than the rest of the Tasman range - the X-Pro is the model with the most off-road specialization. Kia designed the Tasman with a stiff rear axle with leaf springs and a double-wishbone front suspension. The vehicle can reportedly ford water up to 31.5 inches deep at 4.3 mph, and certain internal components have watertight couplings as a precaution. Kia has announced that the Tasman will have a 3500kg braked towing capability, similar to class leaders, with a payload ranging from 1017-1195kg, although having a bit less torque than category heavyweights.

The Tasman's interior has a double-wide screen with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver and another 12.3-inch screen for infotainment purposes. It's unclear if they are wired or wireless, but the Tasman has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Between the two 12.3-inch screens is a 5.0-inch panel that is used for temperature controls. An eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system is another option available to buyers.

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