Kia Tasman News

Modern-day off-roaders are impressive, no doubt about that: they’re generally quite comfortable on-road and often quite capable off-road.But are they so good at doing 4WD things that they effectively rob any off-roading challenge of, well, the challenge part? Are they such a great blend of driver-assist tech and 4WD mechanicals that the driver is merely along for the ride?Read on.Off-roading in a contemporary off-roader (AWD or 4WD) can be such smooth sailing that you’d be forgiven for thinking “What’s all the fuss about?”Driver-assist tech with direct off-road applications – such as the 360-degree camera or vehicle-info read-out (displaying driveline/diff lock indicators, steering, pitch and roll angles etc) – is taking on ever more significant roles as it all improves.But invasive technology, finely-tuned off-road traction control and even overbearing drive modes can turn what might have been a technically difficult section of 4WDing into almost a point-and-enjoy-the-ride kind of driving experience because new off-roaders are simply that good.Don’t get me wrong, driver-assist tech is great, especially when it works as it should: being consistently effective when it really counts.Off-road traction control, hill-descent control, track cameras, transparent bonnet functions and more are welcome additions to any off-road vehicle.The Kia Tasman is a good example of a 4WD with an off-road traction control system that is so smoothly well calibrated the driver is nigh-on redundant.But if a vehicle’s off-road traction control system is patchy in its application, safe controlled momentum from a reliable base of traction is difficult to accomplish or sustain – and that can be annoying at best and dangerous at worst.The flip-side of that issue is that if the off-road traction control system is so finely tuned the only danger may be that the driver is rendered near-obsolete. The onboard tech does all the thinking for the driver, as well as adjusting engine output, transmission settings and traction control to best suit the terrain. So if you’re the driver you have an existential crisis on your hands in the form of “Why am I even here?”The same goes for hill-descent control; if you’re not in charge of modulating the vehicle’s speed and direction down a hill then shouldn’t you be in a passenger seat enjoying the view?Can you even call yourself a 4WDer if your vehicle does all the work for you?And what if your off-road vehicle has its own eyes watching the track ahead?A track camera (aka 360-degree view camera, or surround-view camera) has the potential to greatly enhance driver vision while you’re 4WDing on bush tracks, cresting steep hills, or traversing sand dunes on beach adventures.What started as more of a novelty for me, the track camera has taken on an increasingly important role. Sure, I still prefer to get out of the vehicle and check the track ahead myself or get a human spotter to do the work for me, but the view afforded by a track camera / 360-degree view camera will usually help the driver to maintain vision, especially if forward visibility is compromised, say for instance up and over the crest of a steep rocky hill, or if your vehicle is edging towards a steep rocky drop into a creek bed and you can’t discern your driving line.Helpful, but still robbing the 4WDer of another bit of responsibility, purpose and challenge.The same can be said for the transparent bonnet function. Can’t figure out what that is even though the tech’s function is literally in its name? (Literally.)Let me explain.This driver-assist tech is designed to help the driver see the correct driving line to take through challenging terrain or over an obstacle without being able to see with their naked eyes what’s under them.Being able to see the track in front of your vehicle is a definite advantage and visibility in some off-roaders is impacted due to the forward-view-restricting design of the cabin or the size of the vehicle’s bonnet, but the transparent chassis function is designed to address that issue.As with onboard cameras, I still prefer to stick my head out the window and have a look at the track, or actually stop the vehicle, get out and have a decent look at the track ahead before I proceed.If your off-road vehicle is working the gears for you, adjusting the speed for you and even looking for you, then how dare you have the audacity to sit in the driver’s seat.The problem with all of this tech – beyond its annoying over-effectiveness – lay in the fact that it’s all more difficult to address failures or damage in the great outdoors than it is to bush-repair an older traditional 4WD.Modern 4WDs are a mass of electronics, sensors, wiring, motherboards etc and those components may be vulnerable to damage, especially in harsh Australian conditions.And the efficacy of driver-assist tech may be impacted by the ingress of bulldust, mud or water. If onboard sensors are compromised or damaged in some way, then you’re at the mercy of nature.Imagine this: You and your family are on a weekend trip away in the bush and you’re currently 80km from the nearest town. You drive through an innocuous-looking creek crossing – the water seems to be about shin-deep. However, some of that muddy water splashes onto one of the vehicle’s onboard sensors and your 4WD automatically goes into the equivalent of ‘limp home’ mode.Bloody uh-oh.Old-school 4WDs can be more easily fixed in remote areas as opposed to trying to get a new vehicle running again which may require someone in your touring group to have a computer engineering degree or have a team of specialists choppered in from Germany.And that’s why old-school 4WDs – or even new old-school 4WDs (like the Suzuki Jimny or Jeep Wrangler) – continue to enjoy such enduring popularity and still fetch sky-high prices on the second-hand market.A real purpose-built 4WD with a full ladder-frame chassis, rigid (live) axles front and rear, and diff locks has always been admired by those in the know; basic and solidly reliable powertrain and mechanical components are the way to go.Any serious 4WDer has a soft spot for something like a Toyota LandCruisers (70, 80,100 Series, anyone?), Nissan Patrol, Land Rover Defender (the old ladder frame kind), Mitsubishi Pajero, even Jeep Gladiator. The old way of doing things is even sought after by some newer examples on the market like the Ineos Grenadier, Jimny and Wrangler.Resolving issues on those old-school 4WDs can be completed with a little bit of common sense, some ingenuity and a bit of hard work. A stack of spares, duct tape, cable ties and some welding skills will help you get a whole lot further than nothing at all and you’ll likely be able to patch up your 4WD, continue your trip and reach civilisation or at least the nearest town.The good news is no matter how clever your off-roader’s software, cameras and sensors are, it’ll still need you to press the ‘Start’ button.Or will it?

Kia’s head of global product planning has fired a cheeky shot at rival brands, said he believes no brand is as well-prepared as Kia for the world’s unpredictable automotive market.Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision, said it’s impossible to know what the industry might look like in the future, but being prepared for as many possibilities as reasonable is the best answer.Speaking with Australian media at the launch of the new-generation 2026 Kia Seltos, Cho said that he thinks no one can know how global events will affect the industry.Trying to predict the events that might change the way brands need to operate is impossible, he said, but understanding what needs to be done to respond can’t be known until after the fact.“Let me put it this way. If I can say that I can expect everything… that's not possible,” Cho said.The US-Israel war in Iran and the effects it has had on global oil shipping is front-of-mind for Cho.“No one can expect this kind of war will happen, and also a couple years ago for Russia and Ukraine, no one can expect that kind of thing.”"But what we are doing is we carefully monitor the market demand or market changes. And development of product takes quite some time. We should create very sound product strategies, and we have to maintain those strategies in a consistent manner.”Rather than scrambling to respond to changes in the industry, Cho said Kia has built enough options to be able to react quickly in a ‘here’s one we prepared earlier’ manner.“Thankfully, we studied the EV transition quite earlier than any other brand. There are also some ups and downs, but the transition and the trend stays the same, just the differences are a little bit of this slow down. So speed might be the difference.”He says the key is not drastically changing for short-term gain, rather slightly adjusting without removing options for the future. Essentially, giving EVs a boost shouldn’t mean forgetting to continue ICE development, he said.“But we stay in the course to maintain the development of the planned EV models entering each global market, step by step. Yet we're still developing the all new ICE models as well as you see in the new Seltos. “So one of the key strengths we have is all the technologies, the diesel or gasoline or hybrid and plug-ins and EVs.”“So we have all the options in our hands. “Certain market ups and downs… hybrid is rising, we can provide hybrid models. If EV is coming, we can provide EVs. So thankfully, we have all the technologies in our hands, and we have the all the product lineup as well.”Cho took a cheeky swipe at rivals, too, rare for a senior executive. He said Kia’s strength globally is its range of cars available from the budget end, Picanto for example, through to hybrids, plug-ins, and more expensive performance cars or large electric SUVS.“So that's probably one of the strengths Kia has compared to other brands. I don't know whether you can name any other OEMs better than us in the case of the product line-up as of today.”

Kia’s global product planning boss confirmed the brand has pumped the brakes on two rumoured models, a small EV and a new SUV.While many anticipated an even smaller electric SUV to join the brand’s line-up below the Kia EV2 - something as a twin to the Hyundai Inster - it’s been confirmed the brand won’t be adding any new model lines in the near future.This also means the potential for an SUV sibling to the Kia Tasman, which would follow the popular trend of ute-based SUVs, is off the cards.Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision said adding more products to the range wouldn’t be useful when the brand’s line-up is “big enough” already.When asked about the rumoured Tasman-based SUV, which CarsGuide had been told had been discussed within Kia Australia at a conceptual level, Cho told journalists the focus is solely on options within the existing line-up at the moment.“Well, there might be options, but at this point, we are trying to focus on what we can and what we can do better, and of course, we can give much more choices to the customers,” he said. “At this time, as you know, we have the ICE line-up, and we also have close to the full EV line-up as well.“So our model line-up itself is big enough. “Instead of adding other model lines, we try to focus on product improvement and also improve our competitiveness with what we have in our hands right now.”Cho’s comment about Kia having ‘close to the full EV line-up’ might seem to point to the potential for a smaller EV to sit below the EV2 (which won’t come to Australia at this stage).The idea of a Kia EV1 has been floated by Kia representatives in interviews with media, especially in Europe, but Cho said the current line-up of EVs needs the brand’s attention for the foreseeable future.“We will consider any opportunities for the new segment, but at this moment, we are very much focused on the EV line-up we have right now. “As you may know already, we have almost a full range of the EV line-up in this moment. We recently launched EV2 in the European market, and EV3 is the one of the global success models we have. Cho pointed out the series of EV models Kia has now spans EV2 through EV3, 4, 5, 6, and 9, with the chances of anything extending that on either side of the smallest and largest models unlikely.“We already have the full range of the SUVs, so we are open to develop any spaces or any market demand for new products, but we already have good choices of the line-ups, so we will focus on what we have today.“We will keep an eye on any opportunities in the marketplace, smaller than EV2, but probably the chances are quite less, because the EV1 or whatever, smaller than the EV2 target market is not that much bigger than the global market. “So a simple answer is, we will focus on what we already have in the BEV lineups, even just the EV models.”

It is that time of the year again when car brands target a last flurry of sales before the end of the financial year. These deals often tell a story of what stock brands need to move, and in a time when electric vehicle sales are more important than ever there are some strong deals on show. Here is a look at some of the best ones going around in 2026.Kia is offering discounts across many of its models, with the most noticeable one being for its struggling Tasman ute. The range-topping X-Pro Tasman now starts from $64,990 (drive-away), equating to a more than $10,000 discount on before on-road costs pricing. The deal is available until the 30 June 2026. Kia’s strong-selling EV3 and EV5 have also picked up sizeable drive-away discounts ending 30 June 2026. The EV3 is available from $46,990 (drive-away), which equates to free on-road costs, as well as a further small discount.The EV5 has received an even more substantial discount, starting from $49,990 (drive-away), with it previously available from $56,770, before on-road costs. Hyundai has also put out some standout deals, especially on its electric range. But you'll need to move fast, with the offer ending on May 31, 2026.The brand’s Kona Electric range all have substantial discounts, with a starting price of $45,990 (drive-away).The recently-launched Elexio SUV is available from $57,990 (drive-away), with it previously on sale from $58,990, before on-road costs. The Ioniq 5 is another of Hyundai’s models being offered with a noticeable discount, starting from $71,990 (drive-away) until 31 May 2026. MG is currently offering discounts across its range to conclude the financial year, with all deals running until 30 June, 2026. One of the biggest deals offered by the brand is a $6000 cashback offer on plug-in hybrid variants of its mid-size HS SUV.Petrol and plug-less hybrids examples are available with a $3000 cashback offer, which is also available on the QS large SUV and the U9 ute. Additionally, these $3000 cashback deals include five years of free servicing on the vehicles. There are also minor conditional discounts on the ZS small SUV and MG3 hatch currently. BYD is offering $3000 cashback on several of its models in Australia for vehicles delivered by 30 June 2026. The Premium variant of the popular Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute gets the deal, and is now available from $54,900 (before on-road costs). Both variants of the Sealion 5 PHEV mid-size SUV, are also eligible, meaning it starts from $30,990 (before on-road costs). The Sealion 6 and Sealion 8 PHEV SUVs are available with the $3000 cashback offer. Chery is another brand to get in on the end of financial year deals. Its Tiggo 7 plug-in hybrid large SUV has discounts of $5000, now starting from $34,990 (drive-away). The hugely popular Tiggo 4 small hybrid SUV and Tiggo 8 plug-in hybrid large SUV are being offered with a $2000 factory bonus discount. Offers run until 30 June 2026.Ford has substantially reduced the price of its plug-in hybrid Ranger lineup, with it now starting from $62,000 (drive-away) down from $71,990 (before on-road costs) until 30 June 2026. This price cut brings it closer to the price of the rival BYD Shark 6, which retails from $57,900 (before on-road costs).Some variants of the diesel Ranger are also being offered with sharp drive-away deals. Toyota’s full-size Tundra hybrid ute has received a more than $10,000 discount for models from 2025 as part of a deal to remove on-road costs and add a cashback offer. This means the ute is now available from $145,990 (drive-away). The offer lasts until June 30 2026. 

It’s no secret Kia’s entry into the ute market has been rocky.The Kia Tasman was introduced with a couple of goals: an annual sales target of 80,000 units globally, and about 20,000 in Australia.For 2026 up to the end of April, Kia Australia has sold 1658 Tasmans, bringing its total sales since launch to 5854.While the Tasman’s engine - a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel - doesn’t put it at a disadvantage amongst its peers, the ute’s design has been divisive to say the least.Just this week, Kia Australia pulled one emergency lever in the form of a massive price cut in excess of $10,000 for some variants.But that’s not all the brand has in mind, with its global executives paying close attention to the ute’s fortunes in Australia. Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision, didn’t mince words when asked about the ute’s global sales performance.“So the answer is clearly, we are not satisfied yet,” Cho said.“We have a lot of expectations, and we are still in the starting point, and we still have a lot of time… so we will carefully monitor the market.”Cho specified the Australian market’s tumultuous reception to the brand’s HiLux and Ranger rival was of particular interest to the global executive team, given Australia’s seemingly unending fascination with utes.“The reactions and early disappointment we have in the Australian market, that gave us a lot of good lessons, then we will provide the counter measures for the coming years.“We will have other power train choices, if we can, and also other design changes or improvements, or any other offerings for new features and content and technology.“Currently we are working on every area in which we can improve the performance of the Tasman, especially in the Australian market.”Specifically regarding new powertrains for the Tasman, he clarified “all the options are on the table right now”.A 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol-hybrid version of the Tasman has reportedly been testing, and flagged by Kia Australia as the most logical option if a new drivetrain is to be introduced.“With NVES currently in play, the priority would probably be more of an electrified hybrid, for example, to try and see us through to the longer term,” Kia Australia General Manager of Product Planning Roland Rivero has told CarsGuide.Kia’s top brass is further willing to do whatever it takes to bring the Tasman’s performance up to scratch, Cho said, once feedback is clear in terms of what needs to be improved.“As long as we have the clear market reactions to improve the initial areas, then we will go all the way.”“We are not just looking at the short term solutions right now. So we are working on, right now, the short term and the midterm solutions at the same time.”In terms of Kia’s measure of success for any changes made to the Tasman, feedback from Kia Australia and its customers is set to be a big part of the planning process.“Of course, we have the internal targets to position the Tasman in the right place, which we expected, and also we are monitoring the customer feedback and the market reactions, throughout digital media and also the customer voices. “And as we, as you know, Kia Australia is getting a lot of the feedback from the media and also the dealers and also the actual customers.”Kia Australia is also not shying away from the issues facing the Tasman, with a spokesperson telling CarsGuide earlier this year the brand has “been quite vocal, and been with this car in particular”."We're very vocal with our superiors, and up front. We're definitely being very deliberate in what we think might be hampering its sales performance."If we want to be a third of the total production volume, they've got to be receptive.”

Kia has sharpened the pencil on its slow selling Tasman ute.The Korean brand has knocked thousands off the price of most grades in the range until June 30, with some sharp drive-away deals.So far the Tasman has only mustered about 1600 sales, which is a long way behind its yearly 20,000 target. The segment leading Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux that have sold about 15,800 and 13,500 so far this year, respectively.There are some big deals to be had on top-tier Tasman versions.The range-topping Tasman X-Pro 4WD dual cab is now priced from $64,990 drive-away, which is more than $10,000 off the previous $74,990 (before on-road costs) price tag.The X-Line 4WD dual-cab variant is also more than $10,000 cheaper at $59,990. Similar big discounts apply to the mid-tier SX+ 4WD dual-cab.Entry-level S and SX 4WD dual-cabs also get some meaningful discounts that drop the price to $49,990 and $51,990, respectively.Kia has also wiped thousands off the price of hard working single cab chassis variants for ABN holders.The base S grade now starts at $39,990 drive-away for the two-wheel drive S with an alloy tray included. If you want 4WD it'll cost you $45,990. Both deals represent several thousands off the non promotional price.The Tasman is powered by a 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engine that makes 154kW and 440Nm.All versions can tow 3500kg and most can carry a one tonne payload.Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith told CarsGuide it needed to do more to boost sales and it had several ways to do that, which now appears to be sharp deals.The Tasman ute has been critically acclaimed for how it performs its duties, but Meredith said there were several issues holding back the new ute.“I think once you’re inside it, it's fantastic,” said Meredith. “I think you know the exterior of the car is very polarising. Some people love it, some people don’t. And that’s had an effect.“I think you’ve got to be upfront and honest that the competition that’s out there is quite dramatic. “When we were planning this six years ago, the competition wasn’t as great as what it is right now.“So did we plan correctly? We planned as well as we possibly could, but the competition is hot, and there’s a polarising look to the vehicle.“We’ve fallen short. We know the facts.“The fact of the matter is we’ve got to make Tasman a better success in Australia than it is at its current level,” said Meredith.2026 Kia Tasman deals 

Kia is readying a major update to its Tasman ute to hopefully fix sales that have been softer than originally anticipated in Australia.The Tasman, which was revealed in 2024 and launched locally last year, was one of the most anticipated new vehicle launches for the South Korean carmaker to date, especially from an Australian perspective.The ute’s exterior design has polarised the public with some loving its boxy looks and plush interior, whereas others lament the awkward headlight placement, among other points.So far Australian sales haven’t met targets. Initially it was targeting 20,000 sales per year, but after the first four months of 2026 it’s on track to only sell around 5000 examples this year.Kia has already confirmed a mid-life update is in the works and this may be fast-tracked. No exact timeframe has been provided yet, but it could be as soon as next year.It’s unclear what exactly is set to change in terms of the design with this update, though the Tasman Weekender concept revealed at last year’s Seoul motor show could preview what’s coming.It featured custom front and rear bumpers with lime green accents, body-coloured wheel arches, among a litany of off-road accessories.As previously reported, focus groups and surveys have been sent out to Tasman owners in Australia on what they like and what they’d like to see improved."We've been quite vocal, and we always have been with this car in particular," a Kia spokesperson recently told CarsGuide."We're very vocal with our superiors, and up front. We're definitely being very deliberate in what we think might be hampering its sales performance."If we want to be a third of the total production volume, they've got to be receptive.”As it currently stands, the Tasman is only powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in Australia. In South Korea there’s a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.It’s understood a hybrid is in the works and it could feature the aforementioned 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with dual electric motors.This ‘TMED-II’ engine already features in the Hyundai Palisade and is expected to roll out to other models within the Hyundai Motor Group.For now we’ll need to wait and see whether more information about this update to the Tasman arises in the coming months.

We know that Hyundai is working on a new dual-cab ute, with the brand confirming an in-house-developed workhorse model that will arrive before the end of the decade, both in the USA and in Australia.What we don’t know, or at least not entirely, is why.It’s long been Australian automotive lore that to be successful in Australia, a ute has to be a part of the line-up.Toyota, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen, Jeep – amongst others – have all heeded the call and found a dual-cab for their line-ups.But that was then and this is now.These days, the ute market is contracting. Mid-size SUVs are the vehicle of choice in our market again. Auto giant Toyota forecasts that the new normal won’t be changing again anytime soon.Then there’s the other pressure – China.Our market has never before been so flooded with affordable ute offerings from brands like BYD, GWM, JAC, Foton, LDV and MG. Chery will join the party shortly with its diesel plug-in hybrid.Despite the influx of new brands, fewer people overall are choosing utes. In fact, the segment has shed more than 2500 sales since the beginning of the year, compared with the first three months of 2025.Swollen segment, shrinking sales. Not a great combination.Whatever the reason, there’s no doubting the Kia Tasman hasn’t delivered the sales it was expecting to, though hopes are still high that it will eventually reach its lofty annual sales target of around 20,000 vehicles, with the help of a facelift, new powertrain options and a stronger focus on fleet customers.Other newcomer brands have fared even worse.What will the market look like in 2028 and beyond? Fuel prices won’t be going down, at least over long-term trending, that’s for sure. And customer tastes seem to already be trending in the opposite direction.  In the US, where the market is massive (though dominated by the Toyota Tacoma), and where Chinese brands so far don’t exist, is no doubt the global motivator, but the going in Australia could prove tougher than they might be expecting for the Korean giant.I have no doubt the Hyundai ute will be impressive. The Boulder concept unveiled in New York looks spectacular, and the brand has been on a tear of quality products of late.But it could be timing, not the product itself, that presents the biggest headwinds.

The ute market has peaked in Australia, and some new and established workhorses could struggle.Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Meredith said the ute market appears to have peaked, with a flat result in quarter one this year showing growth will be tough to find.That spells bad news for the Kia Tasman, which was launched last year with a sales target of 20,000 per year. It is on track to sell less than 5000 in 2026, which is a a far cry from the segment-leading Ford Ranger and strong-selling Toyota HiLux and BYD Shark 6.Meredith said “of course” they were concerned about the Tasman’s performance.When quizzed if the Tasman would be here in three years if sales didn’t improve, he simply said: “I believe so”.The Tasman ute has been critically acclaimed for how it performs its duties, but Meredith said there were several issues holding back the new ute.“I think once you’re inside it, it's fantastic,” said Meredith. “I think you know the exterior of the car is very polarising. Some people love it, some people don’t. And that’s had an effect.“I think you’ve got to be upfront and honest that the competition that’s out there is quite dramatic. “When we were planning this six years ago, the competition wasn’t as great as what it is right now.“So did we plan correctly? We planned as well as we possibly could, but the competition is hot, and there’s a polarising look to the vehicle,” he said.Kia is currently the third best-selling car brand in the nation this year, but it acknowledges it needs to do more to get the Tasman in more hands.“We’ve fallen short. We know the facts,” said Meredith.“What’s happening in the world over the last 35-40 days hasn’t helped. But we can’t use that, we can’t use anything as an excuse.“The fact of the matter is we’ve got to make Tasman a better success in Australia than it is at its current level,” said.A facelift to give the Tasman more conventional styling is still at more than a year or two away, according to CarsGuide’s previous reports, but there are other levers the brand can use.Kia is a volume seller, so some sharp discounts might be on offer for the dual-cab ute in the coming months to help stimulate demand and attract fleet buyers.Kia’s headquarters has been canvassing Australian owners on how to improve the product.The Korean brand also revealed plans for a plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute for the US market, which could be a possible replacement for the slow-selling Tasman.Meredith said they have their hand up for all types of powertrains in the brand’s global armoury."We're open to everything, but first and foremost we've got to make what we've got a success."

With all due respect to GAC and its plans for a new dual-cab ute — please don’t. Same goes for Hyundai, which has been talking up its plans for a ute in recent months, and Chery that has a yet-to-be-named new ute incoming. We have enough utes in this country.That might sound like a ‘click-bait, hot take’ (and it partially is) but it’s also very much true. The ute market in Australia is getting over-crowded and new additions will make it even more densely packed.Don’t take my word for it, Sean Hanley, the former sales and marketing boss of Toyota has been saying we’ve reached ‘peak ute’ for more than a year. Coming from a man who oversaw the enduring sales success of the HiLux and introduced the Tundra to Australia, that’s a notable position to take. Speaking in January 2025, Hanley said he wasn’t confident that more utes arriving would equal more sales overall.“I’m not necessarily sharing a view that it's going to grow astronomically because of the new entrants,” he said. “It may, I could be wrong, but it’ll be interesting to watch.“Looking towards the future, we already know that the number of ute models available to Australian buyers will expand rapidly. “They’ll be competing for an overall ute market that is likely to remain steady, which suggests that the average sales per model will come down as a result.”That hypothesis was proved correct when the 2025 sales were tallied. The ute segment grew only 2.7 per cent between 2024 and ‘25, despite 12 new entrants from several new brands — including Kia, BYD, MG, Foton and GWM.Go back five years and look at the difference between 2021 and ‘25 and the idea of hitting ‘peak ute’ comes into even greater focus. In that span there was 5.9 per cent sales growth but a 41 per cent increase in the available number of models. Hanley followed up his January comments with more at the launch of the new HiLux late in 2025.“So when I say the ute market's peaked, what I mean is that, well, exactly that, it's peaked. But it's still a significant market, and it will be for the future,” he told CarsGuide."But I think that whole ute market's going to be crazy for the next couple of years. So in the end it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what customers think.”Nissan Oceania Managing Director Andrew Humberstone, seemingly along with GAC and Hyundai management, believes the contrary and the ute market has increased volume in its future.“I don't want to really talk specifically about numbers, but we see certainly an increase in volume,” he told CarsGuide in December ‘25.While BYD has made strong in-roads into the ute market with the Shark 6, cementing itself as a top five selling dual-cab, the reality for most of these new players is they are attracting relatively small volumes.Kia, which set a public goal of 10,000 sales by the end of ‘25 managed less than half of that (4196), while despite a competitive price and bigger-than-average size, the MG U9 managed only 472 sales in the few months it was on sale. Foton split 177 sales between its Tunland V7 and V9 since they hit the market in late ‘25.But even some models that were on sale for the full year in 2025 fared poorly. The Jeep Gladiator found just 332 buyers, while the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok all experienced sales drops.Of course, this story won’t stop the new utes from GAC, Hyundai and Chery coming, nor any other brand that wants to join in, but the reality is none are likely to dramatically increase the size of the overall ute market. Instead, the share of the market will just get divided up into smaller and smaller pieces.In the end, natural selection will play its part and the models that don’t sell will simply be overlooked by buyers and are likely to disappear eventually. One way or another, Australia will not have an endlessly growing number of utes to choose from.