“2025 Kia Tasman review: Prototype off-road drive”
Who would have thought a dual-cab ute from a mainstream Korean model can be probably the most talked-about new automobile of the yr.
The 2025 Kia Tasman is the corporate’s first correct try at a dual-cab ute, aiming to capitalise on the ever-enduring of pickups within the Australian market and different elements of the world.
It’s additionally filling a key hole in Kia’s lineup, given what’s actually stopping it from reaching High 3 standing on the Australian gross sales charts is the shortage of a industrial utility to duke it out with the likes of Toyota, Ford and Mazda.
However come July that’s all about to alter, and Korea made certain it acquired folks speaking with the design. Adore it or hate it, you’ll be able to’t accuse the Tasman of being a copycat tackle any of the name-brand utes like some Chinese language competitors.
Additional, Kia’s strategy has been a concentrate on consolation and flexibility, highlighted by its very SUV-like cabin and localisation of the trip and dealing with setup to tailor it to various Australian tastes.
Forward of the total production-spec market launch within the new monetary yr, Kia Australia invited us to attempt a handful of pre-production prototypes – of various levels, thoughts you – in flagship X-Professional specification to get an early style on some closed off-road programs earlier than the ultimate spec lands in native sellers.
Is Kia’s polarising dual-cab up for the mammoth activity of competing with Australia’s favorite automobiles? Learn on to seek out out.
How a lot does the Kia Tasman value?
The Kia Tasman vary will open from $42,990 earlier than on-road prices when the dual-cab vary launches in July, with the flagship X-Professional on take a look at in pre-production type to start out from $74,990 plus on-road prices.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2025 Kia Tasman S 4×2 dual-cab pickup | $42,990 |
| 2025 Kia Tasman S 4×4 dual-cab pickup | $49,990 |
| 2025 Kia Tasman SX 4×4 dual-cab pickup | $54,490 |
| 2025 Kia Tasman SX+ 4×4 dual-cab pickup | $62,390 |
| 2025 Kia Tasman X-Line 4×4 dual-cab pickup | $67,990 |
| 2025 Kia Tasman X-Professional 4×4 dual-cab pickup | $74,990 |
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What’s the Kia Tasman like on the within?
In case you thought the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok have been SUV-like inside, the Tasman feels positively luxurious.
Whereas the brown inside of a few of the pre-production vehicles sadly received’t be making it to the launch vary – please hold forth within the feedback if you need it right here – the inside of the Tasman distinguishes itself from different Kia fashions by way of general design although retains numerous parts that we all know and love from the model’s passenger automobiles.
There’s a stunning quantity of soft-touch supplies littered all through, properly contrasted with the brown parts of the Korean-market colourway. A extra demure blackish-grey cabin was additionally current, and whereas it’s nowhere close to as visually stimulating, our feedback across the craftsmanship and really feel stay.
X-Professional fashions will get a cool quilted leather-based trim full with electrical entrance seat adjustment and reminiscence capabilities for the driving force, heating and air flow for the entrance pews in addition to heated outer rear seats, along with a sunroof. Actually, you could possibly be in a boxy Kia SUV in case you didn’t know what it seemed like from the surface.
Kia’s linked automotive Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) additionally options, with conjoined 12.3-inch widescreens incorporating the digital driver’s cluster and touchscreen infotainment shows. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto options throughout the vary, with the SX and up including native satellite tv for pc navigation.
All Tasmans will characteristic the Kia Join suite of net-based providers too, together with distant capabilities managed through a smartphone software, in addition to linked navigation for appropriate methods.
The upright fascia and straight traces of the cabin give an actual impression of width and house, and there are cool stitching and trim particulars combined in. The mesh-effect vent therapy additionally seems fairly cool.
Storage is sweet too, with a twin charging tray for smartphones in addition to massive cubbies dotted all through. Tradies and households shouldn’t have a lot hassle stowing their odds and ends.
One other factor to notice is the final feeling of high quality. This doesn’t really feel like a commercial-spec cabin, not less than on this grade, and all of the touchpoints and switchgear feels stable.
We don’t have photos of an Australian-spec rear seat, however there’s good house in there for adults even in case you squeeze three throughout. Naturally, we didn’t spend an entire lot of time again there to get a correct really feel.
There was no time to trial its tub or towing talents both, so we’ll have to attend till the total manufacturing launch for that. See the under desk for key specs.
| Dimensions | Kia Tasman |
|---|---|
| Size | 5410mm |
| Width | 1930mm |
| Top (incl. roof rack) | 1870mm – S, SX, SX+ 1890mm – X-Line 1920mm – X-Professional |
| Wheelbase | 3270mm |
| Floor clearance | 231mm – S 4×2 224mm – S, SX, SX+, X-Line 4×4 252mm – X-Professional 4×4 |
| Payload | 1013-1124kg* |
| Gross automobile mass | 3250kg |
| Gross mixture mass | 6200kg |
| Tub size | 1512mm |
| Tub width | 1572mm 1186mm – between arches |
| Tub depth | 540mm |
| Cargo capability | 1173L – VDA |
*Sub-1000kg payload out there to qualify for novated leases
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What’s beneath the bonnet?
At launch only one powertrain might be provided throughout the vary, a 2.2-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel.
| Specs | Kia Tasman |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.2L 4cyl turbo-diesel |
| Energy | 154kW |
| Torque | 440Nm |
| Transmission | 8-speed auto |
| Drive kind | 4-wheel drive |
| Weight | 2126-2237kg |
| Gas financial system (claimed) | TBC |
| Gas tank capability | TBC |
| Braked towing capability | 3500kg |
| Unbraked towing capability | 750kg |
As beforehand reported, native variations of the Tasman are homologated to older Euro 5 requirements in keeping with Australian mandates, and subsequently don’t characteristic AdBlue injection.
Kia Australia says the Tasman will probably stay Euro 5-compliant till the Euro 6d emissions normal is remitted in Australia throughout the trade from round 2028 – and the Euro 6-compliant 2.2-litre diesel with AdBlue is already provided in different abroad markets.
Additional, the two.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol out there in Korean fashions, which develops a wholesome 207kW/421Nm, is off the playing cards for the Australian market.
Hybrid and ‘electrified’ powertrains are “under study” in keeping with the native product workforce, although further element isn’t official simply but.
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
How does the Kia Tasman drive?
I’ll preface this once more with the actual fact we spent a restricted time driving the pre-production Tasman X-Professional on a few quick off-road programs on the Glenworth Valley location.
Over two days we got quick stints behind the wheel of an “X-Pro-ish” pre-production automobile on a few totally different off-road actions. Kia’s workforce stated this automobile was “around 90 per cent” production-spec.
The primary exercise was a little bit impediment together with a water crossing, muddy trails and a few offset moguls. Our time within the driver’s seat was fairly fuss free, although some journalists struggled for traction out of muddy and watery dips after successive runs noticed the all-terrain tyres get a little bit mud-plugged.
Kia has geared up the Tasman with an on-demand four-wheel drive system with 4A mode, which suggests the Tasman’s on-demand expertise will activate the rear axle when it detects slip.
Whereas this sort of all-wheel drive system appears fairly frequent, numerous dual-cab utes – particularly the four-cylinder ones – have selectable four-wheel drive with normal 2H (rear-wheel drive) mode for regular driving.
For the final path work over gravel and dust we stored the Tasman in its 4A mode, letting the system do the work. As soon as we acquired to the ruts and moguls, we pulled up and used the rotary selector dial to have interaction 4L – or 4-Low.
These obstacles gave us a possibility to attempt the Floor View Monitor digicam system that makes use of the {surround} and front-facing cameras to sew collectively a see-through chassis feed, with graphics and animations for the entrance wheels so you realize the place to position the automobile forward of an impediment.
Now this isn’t ground-breaking stuff, and has been out there in rival 4WDs for a while, however Kia’s digicam high quality and digital graphics are actually crisp and simple to view on the transfer.
The off-road pages within the infotainment system are additionally helpful. You will get a real-time feed of a visualisation of your Tasman X-Professional with readouts for pitch and roll, torque distribution and wheel articulation. It animates the automobile in movement and steering angles, in addition to exhibiting oil strain, battery voltage, and tyre pressures.
In equity this primary train wasn’t designed to actually take a look at the Tasman at its limits, but it surely was most likely as gnarly as most individuals heading up a camp path will probably go.
The combo of circumstances and surfaces additionally allowed us to get a really feel of how the Tasman handles off-road terrain almost about traction, steering and noise intrusion.
From the get go I observed how insulated the Tasman’s cabin is. The four-cylinder diesel sounds fairly loud and rattly on the surface however is impressively suppressed within the cockpit.
Likewise, noise from the street floor is properly stored at bay and the final rigidity feels excellent too – you don’t get the scuttling noise from the separate cabin and tub like numerous different utes expertise on the tough stuff.
The steering could be very mild however comparatively direct and communicative for this kind of automobile, although I discovered the pre-production automotive was a little bit obscure about centre which meant numerous mini-corrections when driving on the off-road programs.
Kia Australia’s representatives instructed me they’re making use of one other revision to the steering tune to make sure higher on-centre really feel, so it’ll be attention-grabbing to drive the ultimate manufacturing spec off-road.
On day two we tackled a reasonably rocky and rutted hillclimb, this time to raised exhibit the 4WD system’s capabilities in addition to the X-Trek characteristic which is exclusive amongst the dual-cab ute phase.
The X-Professional comes with an electronically-locking rear differential with in-cabin swap, whereas the broader vary will get a reactive limited-slip rear differential.
We truly didn’t use the diff lock characteristic within the X-Professional prototype, although through the product presentation we have been proven visible representations of how the proactive rear torque cut up advantages in low-grip circumstances. Mainly, you get smoother and extra predictable progress by the use of higher traction and management.
The X-Trek operate distinctive to the X-Professional is just like the Crawl Mode you’ll discover in a Toyota LandCruiser. Consider it as a hill-ascent management (slightly than the frequent hill descent management) that permits the automobile to keep up a gradual velocity navigating uphill and rocky climbs with out driver enter through the throttle.
It takes a fast swap into 4L after which urgent the labelled swap, and off you go. You possibly can modify the velocity in 5 phases, and significantly on rougher terrain avoids you approaching and off the throttle over rocks and bumps, sustaining constant throttle enter and velocity via obstacles which is preferable in these sorts of situations.
The Floor View Monitor additionally got here in helpful right here giving good ahead visibility over crests, given how upright and bluff the Tasman’s face and bonnet is, and there was higher variance within the readouts to the off-road menus.
It could be lengthy however the Tasman solely scraped its bum on the sharpest of dips, partly helped by the X-Professional’s lofty 252mm working clearance and 26.2-degree departure angle. Kia quotes strategy and rampover angles of 32.2 and 25.8 levels, respectively.
For reference, a Ford Ranger Wildtrak Bi-Turbo quotes 234mm of unladen floor clearance, in addition to strategy, departure and rampover angles of 30/23/21 levels respectively.
If I used to be to say one principal gripe it was on the odd event the Tasman’s eight-speed auto would get caught between gears across the 12-15km/h mark, usually shifting up and letting revs drop too low after which shifting down.
In each cases this resulted in a lurching sensation with an excessive amount of throttle software, which was annoying and might be unnerving in case you’re scaling a slipper and rocky climb. You possibly can take management through the paddles in case you want, although.
| Off-road dimensions | Kia Tasman X-Professional |
|---|---|
| Observe entrance and rear | – |
| Floor clearance | 252mm |
| Method angle | 32.2 levels |
| Departure angle | 26.2 levels |
| Ramp breakover angle | 25.8 levels |
| Wading depth | – |
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What do you get?
The X-Professional will sit atop a five-trim vary in Australia – learn our full value and specs article right here.
Tasman S tools highlights:
- 17-inch black metal wheels
- LED headlights
- Daytime working lights
- Rear bumper steps
- Tailgate with ‘lift assistance’
- Sensible key with push-button begin
- Material inside upholstery
- Twin-zone local weather management
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 6-speaker sound system
- Beneath-seat second-row storage
- Mechanical rear differential lock (4×4)
Tasman SX provides:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Energy-folding aspect mirrors
- Terrain Modes
- First-row security energy window
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
Tasman SX+ provides:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED fog lights
- Bedliner
- 240V tub outlet
- Material, leatherette upholstery
- Wi-fi smartphone charger
- Ambient temper lighting
- Second-row air vents
- 240V centre console outlet
Tasman X-Line provides:
- LED projector headlights
- Roof rails
- Rear wheel-arch flare storage system
- Not out there on Tan Beige and Clear White examples
- Synthetic leather-based upholstery
- Heated entrance seats
- 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Column shifter and shifter paddles
- Twin wi-fi smartphone charger
- Second-row armrest
- Privateness glass
- Distant smart-park help
Tasman X-Professional provides:
- 17-inch black alloy wheels
- Gas tank underbody safety
- Digital locking differential
- X-Trek Mode
- Terrain Modes
- Floor view monitor
- Off-road sprint info
- Steering path, steering angle, oil degree
- Heated steering wheel
- Ventilated first-row seats
- Heated second-row seats
- Harman Kardon premium audio
- Sunroof
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
Colors
The Tasman might be ordered in a alternative of eight exterior paint colors relying on variant.
Normal: $NCO
- Clear White – incl. body-colour flares
Premium: $700
- Metal Gray
- Interstellar Grey
- Aurora Black Pearl
- Tan Beige – incl. body-colour flares
- Denim Blue
- Cityscape Inexperienced
- Runway Crimson
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
Is the Kia Tasman protected?
The Kia Tasman is as but unrated by ANCAP, although Kia Australia anticipates a score might be introduced in August.
Kia has engineered two distinct entrance bumper designs for the Tasman, one being extra road-focused for the core vary and the opposite extra off-road pleasant for the X-Line and X-Professional fashions.
Consequently, Kia Australia is aiming for a five-star ANCAP security score from S via SX+ grades, with the X-Line and X-Professional set to be unrated regardless.
Normal security tools contains:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise management
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Lane-centring help
- Lane-keep help
- Rear-view digicam
- Trailer sway management
- Built-in trailer brake controller
SX and above add Kia’s Freeway Driving Help system and navigation-based adaptive cruise management.
The X-Line and above are geared up with parking collision avoidance help, a surround-view digicam and blind-spot cameras.
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
How a lot does the Kia Tasman value to run?
As the broader Kia Australia lineup, the Tasman might be coated by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
| Servicing and Guarantee | Kia Tasman |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 7 years, limitless kilometres |
| Service intervals | TBC |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Complete capped-price service value | TBC |
Finer particulars like servicing intervals and capped-price service pricing might be introduced nearer to launch.
To see how the Kia Tasman traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Tasman
It’s early days, but it surely appears the Tasman has been topic to a really vigorous improvement course of to make sure it’s as aggressive as it may be in Australia’s ever-popular dual-cab ute phase.
First impressions of the X-Professional are stable, succesful specs and 4WD tools bolstered by an expensive, quiet cabin. Nonetheless, we have to attempt it on the black stuff and whereas towing to flesh out the way it compares with key rivals.
I’m additionally a fan of the seems. Certain it’s not classically good-looking, however Kia’s dual-cab forges its personal path with its distinctive and imposing design, and there are some cool colors out there to offset the distinction cladding – I’d truly favor the gray fenders on the Tan Beige paint, personally.
However this was only a palette cleanser and fast first style of Korea’s new dual-cab. I’ll must withhold full impressions – together with on-road and towing evaluation – till the total manufacturing launch in July.
I’m anticipating massive issues, although…
Interested by shopping for a Kia Tasman? Get in contact with one in every of CarExpert’s trusted sellers here
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