Kia Tasman News

A new and improved Kia Tasman is coming soon, with a production date locked in. Leaked documents have detailed the company’s future product plan, including production of an improved Tasman ute and an expansion of Tasman derivative models. The documents originate from Kia’s Employment Stability Committee, which is a management body formed between Kia and the union representing Kia factory workers. This body is responsible for negotiating factory allocation, Korean factory investments and more. The documents state the Hwaseong factory, which is responsible for building the Tasman, is slated to review the new Tasman and its derivatives in 2028. This follows Kia Australia telling CarsGuide to not expect the upgraded Tasman until 2028 at the earliest. Australia’s importance to the Tasman success means we will likely be one of the first markets to receive it. Despite its poor sales to date, Kia won’t be speeding up the crucial mid-life update despite it already testing components here, according to Kia Australia. "That's part of the process. There's a normal Product Enhancement process applied to it like any other car. So that's happening now, if you like," says Kia Australia’s Chief Ride and Handling Engineer Graeme Gambold. "And that's not just facelifted exterior styling. That's also different shock absorber technology, probably powertrain options, and a whole lot of things. "We've got some bits here that we've got to test, or that has asked us to test. So if we like those parts, they'll come to market when we're facelifting. So there's a lot of ongoing things happening with . But that's the same for any car – it doesn't just stop once we launch it." The future production plans show Tasman model derivatives, which could be the rumoured new SUV-bodied 4WD to take on the Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Prado and Ford Everest. Kia has previously said an SUV-bodied version of the Tasman was a possibility, but it wasn’t a priority right now. It appears it might be more of a priority in a few years with an upgraded Tasman to base it on. Model expansion also could mean a hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options, which will help it meet tightening emissions laws around the globe but also meet buyer demand that is gobbling up Chinese rivals with petrol-electric power. This would also make it more palatable for an SUV-bodied version, which can compete with future plug-in hybrid versions of the Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan Terrano 4WDs.

Australia is officially a buyers market for new ute shoppers. Carmakers of all shapes and sizes are delivering outstanding deals on new vehicles, as an increasing number of brands fight over a pool of buyers that isn’t growing at the same rate. Kia is now the latest to offer sharp deals, with its Tasman dual-cab ute the pick of the litter. Kia has wiped $5000 off the price of the Tasman SX four-wheel drive variant, which is now available for $49,990 drive-away down from $54,490 (before on-road costs). Higher grade SX+ 4WD variants can be had for $54,990 drive-away, compared to $62,390 (before on-road costs), which is a whopping saving of more than $10,000. ABN holders can access the $5000 discount on single- and dual-cab-chassis S and SX versions with an alloy tray, too. It is only available on 2025 model year examples and it must be ordered and delivered in November. The controversially-styled Tasman has been a slow seller for Kia, with less than 400 sold through the first nine months of this year. Kia initially expected to move 20,000 Tasmans annually.  It has all the things a ute owner needs, though. Power comes from a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine making 154kW and 440Nm, which is paired to an eight-speed auto driving all four wheels. It has high and low gears, can tow up to 3500kg and - depending on variant - has a one tonne payload. Ute deals used to be rare, and mostly locked in for the End of Financial Year. Not anymore, with even the mighty Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux resorting to deals to entice customers. Toyota is chucking in a $4000 deposit bonus on new mid-range HiLux SR5 variants. There are a few caveats, with it purchased with at least $10,000 financed through Toyota and it excludes the electric version. Ford is giving new customers of the Ranger XLT, Wildtrak and Tremor variants a $4000 fuel card. Mitsubishi is also giving customers a $3000 fuel card with Triton purchases and LDV has permanently wiped thousands off the price of a T60 workhorse.

Fresh updates have emerged about Hyundai’s long-awaited ute for Australia. Last week, the brand revealed the as-yet unnamed answer to the Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6, Toyota HiLux and Chery Stockman has been whittled down to a choice of two upcoming global models. Both options may end up coming to Australia, serving two different ends of the segment, with the more-premium entrant also including a 4WD wagon to take on the new Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Prado and Ford Everest. According to Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) Chief Operating Officer Gavin Donaldson the ute (and likely any SUV offshoot) could be either the American proposal as loosely previewed by the Boulder SUV concept… or something based upon something else. "There is a lot of discussion," he told CarsGuide. "We've kept two options open, because we think both could technically work. We won't shut the door on one and then maybe (want the other). We've maintained two options that we have kept it open for." Asked if the Boulder Concept is the front runner, Donaldson said it is in with a strong chance. “Whilst we can't confirm, we will probably say if (Hyundai internationally) is looking at something from the (United) States, we could still consider that one, because that's definitely on the drawing board," he revealed. "And then there’s other one. I would just say the only other option is if we wanted to bring speed to market quicker… there's probably only one other option.” While Donaldson declined to elaborate on that, it is believed that he is referring to an updated version based on the Kia Tasman. He also hinted that Australia is having input into development. “There's a lot of discussions, a lot of recommendations,” he said. “We're putting through all the different style of pickup we would want. We've made it very clear what we want. “We make it very clear what powertrain want, and now we're just working through the process of what's achievable and what’s not.” This could mean that the Tasman would come first to speed things up, as the Boulder concept-derived ute and SUV will not likely arrive until near the end of the decade at the earliest. Fuelling this speculation is Donaldson’s comments about having to settle for something other than the preferred petrol-electric hybrid powertrain – which immediately puts to mind the Hyundai Motor Group’s long-lived 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine as found in the Tasman. “Ultimately, we're saying we think we probably need a hybrid engine of some sort,” he said. “But we'll never say never to any powertrain at the end of the day, because if something means it can come along quicker with a different powertrain, then we would say yes. “But for us, we think it's a hybrid powertrain is what we need.” Whichever ute comes first to Australia, it is clear that HMCA is considering a two-pronged attack on the market. “(With the Boulder Concept-based ute), we're trying to simplify a very complex internal business discussion,” according to HMCA product planning manager, Tim Rodgers. “It’s got multiple layers and paths and options…” Watch this space.

Work has begun on Kia Tasman 2.0, with componentry already undergoing testing in Australia as the brand prepares a mid-life facelift that will likely touch everything from design to powertrains and dynamics.

The Kia Tasman had big dreams in Australia, including spawning a proper ute-based 4WD SUV to do battle with the Ford Everest. Slow sales have stalled that plan, but could the ute's upcoming facelift reignite the plan? Let's hope so, because these new unofficial renders show how cool the Tasman could look if it cops the full SUV treatment.  Officially, Kia says the SUV plan is on hold as it pours focus into making the Tasman a success in Australia and abroad. Slower-than-expected sales here have forced Korea back to the drawing board in an effort to drum up interest. "We've been quite vocal, and we always have been with this car in particular," Kia has previously 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. But it's not necessarily going to happen at the speed at which you might feel the market might be thinking. "Because a major redesign; it's not simple. And when you've already invested in tooling for sheet metal and tooling for plastics, it's a multi-million-dollar process." It's that redesign that has paused the Tasman's SUV project, with a new ute required for a new SUV. Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision, has told CarsGuide that, while "there might be options", it wasn't on the priority list. "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." For now, then, the Tasman SUV is a pipe dream.

We know now that a new-look Kia Tasman is coming, and now we're getting an idea of what it could be like, as unofficial renders begin popping up detailing the new-look that could save the Tasman in Australia. Emphasis on the word unofficial. While Kia has confirmed it has been vocal about visual changes to the Tasman, it also concedes that change likely won't arrive until late 2027 or 2028. When previously asked by CarsGuide when Kia in Australia would ask its Korean HQ to update the look, a spokesperson replied "you're assuming we haven't already". "We've been quite vocal, and we always have been with this car in particular," they said. "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. But it's not necessarily going to happen at the speed at which you might feel the market might be thinking.  "Because a major redesign; it's not simple. And when you've already invested in tooling for sheet metal and tooling for plastics, it's a multi-million-dollar process." Now the internet is giving us a clear look at what a new Tasman could look like, with a more traditional dual-cab look profile that maintains plenty of Kia design language. The model pictured here would appear to be a modern take on an X-Pro, with tub lining, sport bar and underbody protection complete with recovery hooks. While a refreshed Tasman is coming, it won't be spawning an SUV-based variant anytime soon, with Kia telling CarsGuide its lineup was now big enough without adding any new models in the short term. Asked specifically about a Ford Everest-rivalling ute-based SUV, Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision, told CarsGuide it wasn't on the priority list. “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." Instead, Cho says the company's focus will be on improving the Tasman, saying that the market's reaction has delivered "good lessons". “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," he said. “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.”

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.