Kia has sent out its first official teaser and in fact confirmation that it has a ute on the horizon. A video just hit social media starring 20 Aussie sporting professionals, all gossiping about the name of the ute.
Unfortunately, there is no mention of the name yet. As far as we know it could be called the Kia Tasman. However, this theory kicked off with with a trademark registration lodged in Australia by Kia. Kia has trademarked other names as well, and is a business-as-usual practice for most brands to secure names.
However, this teaser offers a few clues. The hotel in the video is called ‘Hotel Tas’… something, with the rest of the word cut out of the frame. A dart is also shown landing on a map, directly on the Tasman Sea.
According to our source, Kia is planning to launch the new model with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder producing around 157kW and 420Nm, as well as a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder developing around 206kW and 422Nm.
We’ve also heard there is a fully electric version coming, with a battery capacity of up to 123kWh. Twin motors are set to combine to generate a whopping 410kW and 800Nm. Interestingly, the electric version will apparently offer similar, if not the same towing and load capacities as the petrol and diesel.
Our sources indicate a maximum towing capacity of 3500kg (possibly 3400kg for the EV), and a payload of up to 1100kg. The electric range is set to be around 450km, at least on the top-spec twin-motor version. It’s unclear at this stage if Kia will launch a lower-grade, single-motor version, potentially with a focus on increased range.
The Kia Tasman will ride on a heavy-duty platform featuring a live-axle rear end, offering a water wading depth of up to 800mm and an overall length of 5.4 metres. There’s also talk of a Ford Ranger Wildtrak X rival being in the works, offering exposed recovery points, chunky tyres and bespoke bumper bars.
With this teaser now out, we suspect more and more info will trickle out over the coming months. An on-sale date is slated for the first half of 2025, with prices starting from around $50,000 and peaking at around $90,000. Stay tuned for more details.
Be sure to head over to our previous exclusive insider report on the new Kia ute here, with detailed renderings as described by our source who has seen the vehicle. Or check out the video below which goes over the same info.
