Kia Tasman enters the fray against Ford Ranger in fast-growing pick-up class

Kia has revealed its long-awaited Tasman dual-cab pick-up truck, designed specifically to rival the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. While these sorts of workhorses have always been more of a natural fit in North America or Australia than Europe, the midsize pick-up class, in which the Tasman competes, is one of the world’s fastest growing segments – and that includes the UK. 

However, there’s no immediate plan to bring the Tasman over to the UK despite being launched in a right-hand drive model from the get-go for the Australian market. In any case, it wouldn’t take too much imagination to see it lined up alongside the incredibly popular Ford Ranger or tough Toyota Hilux on British worksites – or campsites. 

It comes with some fairly serious off-road chops, too, sharing a similar basic setup to its rivals in running on a rugged body-on-frame chassis with a segmented cab and various tray options. This includes a steel-sided tray as well as a more integrated tub – signs that the range will vary greatly between commercial work trucks at one end and more stylised lifestyle options. 

Four-wheel drive is standard on all but the base model, and is actively variable depending on the drivetrain mode, and then tuned further for additional Sand, Mud, Snow and Rock modes. There’s also an electronically-locking rear differential on off road-focused X-Trek models, plus a Ground View Monitor that can picture the road surface via the on-board cameras. Kia also quotes a very impressive 800mm wading depth, granted by the high-mounted engine intake.

Off-road toys ticked, then, and powering the Tasman will be two engine options from launch – one 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel. The petrol produces an impressive 277bhp and 421Nm of torque, with the diesel reducing power to 207bhp, but upping torque to 441Nm. This gives the Tasman a heavy-duty 3,500kg tow-rating – a critical number for the class. Both engines are hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission, but some markets including Africa and the Middle East will see a six-speed manual option.

The Kia Tasman’s impressive numbers continue with a class-leading 1,195kg payload capability when in 2WD mode, and a bed that’s 1,512mm long and 1,572mm wide, or 1,186mm between the wheels. 

All this rugged capability hasn’t come at the cost of design and tech, though, with the interior closely mirroring Kia’s road cars. This is emphasised with the same triple-touchscreen infotainment system, with a new hard-wearing, but still stylish design. Outside, the Kia’s taken a more eccentric pathway, looking quite distinctive thanks to its bluff front end, small headlights and chunky bodywork. 

But Kia’s tough new pick-up won’t find itself in the UK, or Europe at all in fact. Instead, the European market will continue to focus on its electric and hybrid offerings. A pick-up petition might need to start here.

Do you want Kia to bring the Tasman to the UK? Let us know in the comments section below...