Kia Tasman pickup truck spotted testing on Korean streets

Kia Tasman has been spotted testing on the streets of South Korea. Photo: Shorts Car.

According to Drive, Kia’s first pickup truck model has been spotted testing on the streets of South Korea.

At the moment, Drive does not have enough evidence to confirm whether this is the complete design of the upcoming Kia Tasman that will be unveiled to the public in the future, or just a test version assembled from various parts of different models by the Korean automaker.

Based on the photos captured by Shorts Car, Drive suggests that the grille and headlights of this pickup truck model look quite similar to the Kia Mohave currently available in South Korea. In particular, the size of the wheels seems disproportionate to the body of the vehicle.

Rare images of the Kia Tasman being tested on the streets of South Korea. Photo: Shorts Car.

The rear of the vehicle raises a lot of curiosity, but the current amount of recorded images is not enough to confirm any details.

According to Kia Australia, a prototype of this pickup truck will be showcased at local showrooms in 2025. Kia asserts that their pickup truck model is capable of directly competing with the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger in the Australian market.

Kia Tasman is expected to be equipped with a diesel engine for a maximum towing capacity of 3.5 tons and a payload of one ton.

Notably, Kia Australia’s executives have expressed interest in rivaling the Ford Ranger Raptor. It is likely that Kia’s first pickup truck model will have the additional option of a twin-turbocharged V6 gasoline engine borrowed from the Kia Stinger.