Kia Tasman Ute: The New Kid Trying to Play with the Big Boys (But Maybe Forgot to Check the Rules)

You can hit us with all the Sandy Beige vibes you want, but let’s be real—it's gonna take a bit more than that to win us over.

Kia’s first shot at a ute, the Tasman, has finally landed. But it looks more like a primary school sketch of a truck that somehow wandered into reality. Between the flare designs and painfully mediocre power, we’re left wondering if anyone on the design team has actually met an Australian 4WD owner—or just Googled "outback." Here’s our take on the specs and features:

Let’s start with the 2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine. The Tasman’s torque is sitting so far behind the rest of the dual-cab market that calling it “competitive” feels like a stretch. With this engine, even a joyful toddler might not crack a smile if this ute rolled by, revving at full capacity. It’s almost like Kia looked at the standard torque figures for utes and thought, “Nah, let’s keep it humble.” Then there are the flares—chunky in the way that school lunch boxes are “chunky.” They come with integrated storage that might just fit your car keys, a couple of coins, or, realistically, your embarrassment. Sure, it's a nod to practicality, but these storage flares aren’t exactly the game-changers Kia might hope they’d be.

Kia has checked the “standard” box with a 3,500kg towing capacity and a 350kg tow ball mass. In other words, it’ll get the job done but without any bragging rights. And with a brand-new model like this, don’t expect a GVM upgrade anytime soon—this ute won’t be the workhorse you’ll want for heavy-duty jobs anytime soon. Slide and recline rear seats, plus an integrated panoramic display—ideal for city slickers who might hit a gravel road once in a while, but not exactly the selling point for tradies or 4WD enthusiasts. Let’s be real; reclining rear seats won’t help when your gear’s scattered across uneven tracks or mud trails.

We see the fancy interior—plush seats for the win! But will this cabin survive a real day on the trails? Jury’s still out.

Back seats that include "sustainable" recycled plastics—because, of course, sustainability was at the top of every tradie’s wishlist. But hey, at least the planet’s happy, right?

Kia’s sustainability nod comes in the form of recycled plastics, a nice thought but hardly the priority for serious 4WD drivers. It’s clear this ute was made with a conscience but without much consultation with the target audience. The headlights are placed so far apart, they might as well be in a long-distance relationship. With these headlights out on the edges, the first obstacle you encounter off-road will turn them into high-priced souvenirs. In fact, they’re about as far from each other as Ben Cousins and rehab (which is saying something).

When you order a rugged workhorse but get... the tray back starter pack. Sure, it’s something, but intimidating? Not quite what 4x4 Australia asked for.

Kia has set its sights on the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, hoping to steal some market share. But with specs that don’t break any ground, it’s hard to see the Tasman taking off among the crowd that’s loyal to proven workhorses.

We’re all for fresh faces in the 4WD world, but right now, based on the standout specs and features, we’re not exactly sold on the Kia Tasman’s potential to shake things up. Still, we’re keen to give this one a fair shot with a test drive and a off-road ute review—who knows, maybe it’ll surprise us yet. Stay tuned to see if redemption is on the cards for this new kid on the block!

For a more in-depth look check out our video.