2025 Kia Tasman twist! 210kW petrol power back on the menu as dual-cab ute muscles up against Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux

The Kia Tasman could arrive with a petrol powertrain after all, with CarsGuide learning of plans to launch a petrol option in overseas markets, potentially opening the door to a second powertrain choice in Australia.

From the moment news of the Kia Tasman first broke, way back in 2019, Kia in Australia had promised a choice of petrol or diesel.

"Work has begun,” Kia Australia's CEO Damien Meredith told us then.

Read More About Kia Tasman

Key detail revealed for highly-anticipated new ute? 2025 Kia Tasman payload appears in latest teaser film ahead of Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton rival's official reveal Key Kia Tasman detail revealed: 2025 Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max rival teased ahead of next year's arrival New Kia Tasman teaser video makes ute sound like monster Ford Ranger Raptor fighting petrol V8, but there's a catch...

“We’re talking about a dual-cab, a single-cab - what we’ve requested is the full gamut for the ute, and that (includes) a dual-cab with diesel and petrol (options).”

But somewhere along the journey the idea of a petrol engine option fell by the wayside, with Kia in Australia saying it would instead launch with a four-cylinder diesel donk.

The brand has flagged a "familiar" four-cylinder engine, which would likely mean the same 2.2-litre unit found in the Sorento and Carnival, which produces 148kW and 440Nm, and is pairs with an eight-speed automatic, or with a manual gearbox.

"We've said all along that if we're going to develop this vehicle, then it has to be a solid competitor for HiLux and Ranger," Kia Australia's GM of Product Planning, Roland Rivero, has previously told CarsGuide.

"We're not mucking around when it comes to the ute. We want to make sure that the first attempt at a ute from our brand is one that's going to do well in our market."

But CarsGuide understands a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol option will be offered internationally, and is yet to be entirely ruled out for Australia, with the brand expected to homologate the engine as a just in case.

That engine, which is used in the Sorento in the USA, produces a sizeable 210kW in power, but its 422Nm lags the diesel's 440Nm, although the latter's official outputs in the Tasman remain to be seen.

But that doesn't lock it in for Australia, far from it. In fact, CarsGuide understands the looming NVES policy makes it a very uncertain starter for our market, at least in the short term.

Still we understand it hasn't been ruled out entirely, so watch this space.