Kia Is Happy with the Tasman Truck's Design

Kia's exterior design chief admits the Tasman is a "striking-looking vehicle." The pickup truck's funky styling is not an "accident." There were 20 initial proposals from all of Kia's design studios.

From the moment Kia started teasing its first pickup, we knew it would look weird. The Tasman finally broke cover earlier this week, confirming our initial hunch. From just about every angle, it’s a peculiar truck, but the South Korean company is happy with how things turned out. We’re learning the striking appearance is intentional to make it stand out in a crowded segment occupied by well-established names.

Defending the Tasman’s unorthodox styling, Kia’s exterior design boss John Buckingham told Australian magazine Carsales: “We are proud of what we have achieved. The design department within Kia has created something unique and there are a lot of positive responses from it.” We’re honestly not so sure about the last part of his statement since the Internet is filled with negative comments about the truck’s strange aesthetics. That said, it's best to wait until the truck hits the market in 2025 as sales numbers always tell the truth about a vehicle's popularity.

“It’s a striking-looking vehicle. It is a car that takes time [to grow on you]. And once you are around it more, the balance of the elements is generally correct, even if you feel the way it’s been constructed is not to your taste. To sum it all up the car has got strong and bold impressions so that when it drives past you, you will not miss it.”
All of the company's design studios around the world were involved in the process. There were about 20 studies before Kia picked three final designs that were built on a 1:1 scale. The result is "not an accident," according to Buckingham.

Beyond its quirky looks, one other complaint people have expressed is the absence of a six-cylinder engine. It’s understandable considering the Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok, and the Toyota Hilux all have V-6s. Much like with the design, Kia is defending its decision to offer only four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. The company’s chief ride and handling engineer in Australia claims peak output is less important than the “meat under the curve.”

Graeme Gambold told CarExpert that adding extra torque at the top end wouldn’t make much of a difference since the available muscle at lower rpms is what matters in a pickup truck. However, Kia Australia product planning general manager, Roland Rivero, won’t exclude a beefier V-6 engine since the Tasman has a long life ahead. He cautions stricter emissions regulations might prevent Kia from putting six cylinders under the hood, at least Down Under.

Kia’s Australian branch has already expressed its interest in a potential SUV version of the Tasman. If made, it would go up against the Ford Everest, a body-on-frame SUV built on the Ranger platform sold in select markets. GoAuto reports the Aussie management team has been “vocal” about a three-row SUV-ified Tasman but no such decision has been taken by the higher-ups from Korea.

Should it get the green light, it would indirectly replace the Mohave aka the Borrego in the United States where it was sold only during the 2009 model year. The rugged but ancient SUV is still available at home in Korea, but recent reports state its days are numbered. It's been around since 2008, with a facelift in 2016 and a more substantial update in 2019.

The US is highly unlikely to get the Tasman because of the 25% Chicken Tax unless Kia plans to build the pickup truck at its Georgia plant. An SUV version would make sense here for those who want something more competent off the beaten path than Telluride's X-Line and X-Line Pro trim levels.