Kia Tasman vs LDV Deliver 7

What's the difference?

Kia expects its all-new Tasman to be a key player in Australia’s highly competitive ute segment. And to its credit, the Korean manufacturer has created its contender from scratch, rather than taking the easier platform-sharing route favoured by some rivals.

However, judging by feedback from numerous locals during our test, the jury is out on whether Aussies will warm 'en masse' to its bold styling and confronting appearance, which tends to distract from the capable vehicle beneath.

So, given our tradie focus, we recently spent a week in the lowest-priced entry point for Tasman dual-cab ute ownership, to see how it measures up as a tool-of-trade for tradies, farmers or fleets wanting a back-to-basics workhorse.

Following up the electric LDV eDeliver 7 comes the diesel-powered model which may look identical from the outside but is an altogether more traditional package. 

Effectively replacing the G10 as LDV’s mid-size (2.5-3.5 tonne GVM) van, the Deliver 7 competes against segment stalwarts like the Ford Transit Custom, Hyundai Staria Load, Renault Trafic Pro, Toyota HiAce and Volkswagen Transporter. 

Unlike some of the others in that list, the Deliver 7 has its eyes firmly set on the fleet operator crowd with all the required safety equipment, plenty of payload capacity and – crucially – a cheap starting price.