Kia's hybrid hero! All-new 2.5-lite turbo-petrol hybrid Tasman ute that could finally out-punch the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux looms

This generation of the Kia Tasman will go green, with an all-new 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid that should shame the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max firming as the favourite to propel the brand’s new dual-cab ute.

Asked if the 2.5-litre hybrid was the favourite to power the electrified Tasman, Kia Australia’s chief of product planning Roland Rivero said “that would make sense”.

The 2.5-litre engine in question would appear to be the group’s new turbo-petrol hybrid, scheduled for production in 2025 in Korea’s Hwaseong plant.

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And it's good news for the Tasman’s outputs. The 2.2-litre diesel engine the model launches with produces 154kW and 441Nm, the 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid should produce far more.

It is being based on the existing Theta III 2.5 GDI engine, which already cranks out 143kW and 246Nm, so the addition of an electric motor should up those outputs considerably.

The engine will also reportedly find a home in the Palisade large SUV, suggesting real pulling power will be required.

2025 Kia Tasman

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Asked whether a hybrid would be the first alternative-powertrain solution for the Tasman, Mr Rivero replied: “That's our desire, for sure.”

“It's a modular platform, and can cater to multiple powertrains. And over the course of the lifecycle we will look at other options to ensure that it remains desirable and competitive in the marketplace,” he said.

The focus in the short-term will be bedding down the diesel-powered Tasman, with the hybrid tech waiting in the wings as Australia’s New Vehicle Emissions Standard comes into force.

2025 Kia Tasman

Kia is quick to remind us the Tasman is the brand’s first ute, and one that the marque, its customers and its dealer network still need to fully understand.

“We've never had a product this complex. Let's just put that into perspective. We've always had a very simple product range — simple for our dealers, simple for our customers — and now we're going to throw into the mix of commercial vehicles that's very complex. We've got to get the fundamentals right first,” Mr Rivero said.

“(The hybrid) is not from the get-go, and it's not lined up at this very point in time. But again, we've got a 10-year life cycle and we can continue to evolve the Tasman.”