Kia joins the pickup section overseas, providing clues to Hyundai’s attainable midsize truck for North America.
Kia is coming into the pickup house with the 2026 Tasman. At the moment accessible in Oceania, Southeast Asia, the Center East, and Africa, this rig is taking goal at among the most well-established marques of their respective areas. Whereas the South Korean automaker has no plans (but) to carry it to North America, the truck you see right here may kind the idea for the same mannequin that might be bought within the US and Canada beneath the banner of Kia’s company associate, Hyundai.
What’s the Kia Tasman?
Design
Tasman’s styling is producing polarizing opinions. The entrance finish tries to suit inside the model’s present design language. Whereas it really works nicely on SUVs such because the Sorento and Telluride, we expect it’s a miss on this utility. It offers off first-generation Honda Ridgeline vibes, and that truck didn’t precisely set the market on hearth.
Two-door Single and four-door Double Cab configurations will likely be supplied with a 5-foot mattress particularly designed to hold a normal Australian or European pallet. In contrast to the Ridgeline or smaller Hyundai Santa Cruz, which use a car-type unibody chassis, the Tasman is a conventional body-on-frame truck. This leads to most mattress payload and towing capacities of round 2,500 and seven,700 kilos, respectively.
Inside, the boxy theme is used to a lot better impact, with the tan accents providing a singular look versus the bolder main colours you would possibly discover in different pickups. The instrument panel and infotainment layouts will likely be acquainted to anybody who’s pushed a latest Kia. It even has some new methods up its sleeve with a “Floor View Monitor” that makes use of a particular digicam to offer an unobstructed have a look at what’s instantly in entrance of the car, which is usually a godsend when off-roading. Sensible touches embody an expandable heart console desk and bedside storage that doubles as a folding work floor.
Engines
Below the hood, Tasman presents turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. The previous is a 2.5-liter unit that produces 278 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The latter is a 2.2-liter with 207 horsepower and 325 pound-feet. Each engines pair with an 8-speed computerized transmission with the diesel additionally providing a 6-speed handbook. Rear- and 4-wheel-drive can be found, relying on trim degree and area.
Pricing
The 2026 Kia Tasman ranges in worth from $38,010-$74,990 Australian {dollars} (AUD), or about $27,000-$53,000 US. This places the Tasman squarely in the course of a market section dominated by the likes of the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, and Toyota’s legendary HiLux.
Why the 2026 Kia Tasman issues
Whereas Kia has acknowledged that the Tasman just isn’t deliberate for the US or Canada, its arrival is noteworthy. Hyundai is broadly rumored to be creating a brand new midsize pickup for North America to both be positioned above or to outright substitute the smaller Santa Cruz. Tasman’s platform and engineering may preview parts of that future truck.
CG Says:
Primarily based on early drive impressions from Australian media retailers, the Tasman comes throughout as a traditional-feeling pickup with strong functionality and aggressive pricing, although it lacks polish in comparison with its extra established rivals. Nonetheless, as a primary try, it seems to be a reputable entry in a demanding section. Hopefully Hyundai will study some classes from the Tasman’s launch and use it to enhance their model of the truck for North America, the place competitors is arguably harder with the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma vying for client consideration and {dollars}.
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