Up Close with the Kia Tasman at Jeddah Motor Show

Kia recently lifted the veils of the controversial Tasman bakkie. Senior Writer Marius Boonzaier travelled with Kia South Africa to the Jeddah International Motor Show, Saudi Arabia to attend the official reveal and get up close with the South Korean carmaker’s first-ever bakkie.

X-Pro. Image: Kia

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Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. With the mercury steadily rising to 35 degrees Celsius, not to mention the humidity level at an almost unbearable 74% (for my constitution, at least), I, dressed in the crispest white button-down shirt, neatly tucked into my suit trousers, I own. I was eager to make my way out of the heat of the Middle East and into the Jeddah Super Dome, not only for the air conditioning but, more so, for what could be considered the main event of the 2024 Jeddah International Motor Show.

Following an extensive teaser campaign, which highlighted the development process of Kia’s first-ever bakkie (then dressed in camouflage wrapping, of course), the South Korean company would finally officially unveil the Tasman. Sited dead centre of the Jeddah Super Dome, a duo of Tasmans, still under wraps, were parked in front of the Kia stand, which also featured several of the brand’s electric vehicles and the refreshed Sorento, the latter of which has been penned in to arrive on South African shores in 2025 (be sure to keep an eye on the December 2024 issue of CAR magazine for our comprehensive feature on the cars you can expect to see on our roads, and those we suspect could make their way here, in the coming 12 months). Noteworthy, the Tasman is one of the vehicles destined to make landfall in SA in 2025, with its local introduction planned for the second half of 2025.

Related: Kia Tasman Bakkie Revealed, Earmarked for SA in 2025

With the clock counting down to the reveal, a vast number of representatives, smartphones and camera equipment in hand, from an array of international media publications made their way to the Kia stand. With the anticipation exceeding the mercury levels outside, the presentation began.

X-Line. Image: Kia

Proving the voices of uncertainty wrong by paving a new path

Speaking about the Tasman, Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song said some voiced their uncertainty about Kia producing a bakkie, saying some contended that only a few select brands have the capability to make a competitive bakkie. However, with its sights set on proving the opposite, the automaker remained confident it would prove these voices wrong.

Said President and CEO Ho Sung Song:

“Despite these voices of uncertainty, we maintained a clear strategy for success, based on the realisation that the pick-up market and customer needs have undergone rapid changes in recent times. Thanks to our technological capabilities and manufacturing expertise, we were confident that we could shake up the global pick-up market with something entirely new.”

Indeed, the firm says the Tasman paves and follows its own path, and not that of its competitors. “The Kia Tasman will provide customers a total product experience, differentiated from other offerings in today’s market” added President and CEO Ho Sung Song.

“Our confidence in the Tasman was not spawned overnight. As much as Kia has longed for building pick-ups, our dream was only realised after years of meticulous market analysis, thoughtful consideration and extensive R&D [research and development] efforts.”

X-Pro. Image: Kia

The Tasman underwent 1 777 specific tests in a variety of environments, including the scorching deserts in the Australian outback and snowy tundra of Sweden, and “over” 18 000 rounds of evaluation before it would finally be showcased to the public at the Jeddah International Motor Show. To ensure the Tasman meets the needs (and, indeed, even more) of consumers, Kia tested the bakkie’s ride and handling, all-terrain durability, off-road ability, towing and wading capabilities, and even on-track performance.

Said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design:

“We believe it is a fantastic pick-up truck that blends lifestyle and utility; marking the beginning of a new phase in the evolution of the the pick-up market … With the Tasman, we’ve listened to our customers, and created a pick-up truck that is meant for explorers, adventurers, and people who need to get things done.”

As with many motor shows, getting up close to a highly anticipated new vehicle takes some patience … and the occasional arm-wrestle with the crowd, especially when you want to take a closer look at the car’s cabin. However, finally, I had the opportunity to step inside the Tasman (we’ll get to the exterior in a few).

Image: Kia

What is the Kia Tasman’s interior like?

A highlight of the package, from first impressions, the interior feels solidly constructed. It is well-appointed, too, with the welcome combination of soft-touch materials and hard-wearing plastics lending it a premium yet robust feel. Adding to the latter, the cabin is equipped with a raft of up-to-date technologies.

Housed within an expansive landscape-oriented binnacle are a duo of 12.3-inch displays (the infotainment unit of which is touch-enabled) and a single 5.0-inch screen, all of which featuring crisp graphics. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto screen mirroring is standard fitment, with customers having the option relaying their favourite tunes over an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system. The infotainment setup also incorporates ground-view monitoring. Two wireless smartphone-charging pads are sited below the pleasingly analogue switchgear, including for climate, in the centre of the dashboard.

X-Pro. Image: Kia

Indeed, whereas several manufacturers have moved the operation of myriad functions exclusively to the touchscreen, the Tasman still incorporates tactile controls. For example, the volume can be adjusted via a physical scroller, while 2H, 4A, 4H, and 4L are engaged via a toggle sited on the centre console. In addition, those with a keen eye would have noticed there is no gear lever on the latter. To free up space, the drive selector is positioned on the column of the multifunction steering wheel.

Speaking of space, the Tasman offers plenty of storage. There are a duo of (stacked) glove boxes, a large compartment below the central armrest, and two 33-litre storage boxes below the rear Isofix-fitted pews, which can be reclined by up to 33 degrees. Kia further claims the Tasman offers best-in-class head-, shoulder- and kneeroom (up to 940 mm for aft occupants). In addition, fixing child seats to the rear pews should be a cinch, thanks to the aft doors opening at a near-90-degree angle. However, if, like myself, you are shorter in frame, you might have to stand on your toes, as it sits rather tall from the ground.

X-Pro. Image: Kia

What are the Kia Tasman’s credentials?

The Tasman — especially the off-road-oriented X-Pro derivative (which includes an automatically engaging electronic locking differential and “X-Trek” mode), with its 252 mm ground clearance (28 mm more than the X-Line’s 224 mm) — stands tall from the ground. And that leads us to the Tasman’s exterior (we’ll get to the design shortly).

The Tasman X-Line and X-Pro’s bodywork wraps around 18- and 17-inch alloys respectively. On the X-Pro show car, the latter units were fitted with Continental CrossContact ATR rubber, while a customised X-Pro variant’s “beadlock-looking”, 17-inch wheels sported BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres. It is worth noting that an array of customisation options, each developed in-house by Kia, are on offer — from a full hard-top to a coupé-top canopy (seen here), and many more for a variety of applications, including the fitment of rooftop tents.

X-Pro with coupé-top canopy. Image: Kia

Underpinned by a body-on-frame chassis, the Tasman measures 5 410 mm in length and 1 930 mm in width, with the X-Line and X-Pro measuring 1 890 mm and 1 920 mm in height, respectively. The wheelbase is 3 270 mm.

The load bed, which can be accessed via corner steps, is 1 512 mm long, 1 572 mm wide (1 186 mm between the wheel arches), and 540 mm deep. Kia claims a cargo capacity of 1 173 litres. For smaller items, there is also a 6.3-litre storage compartment incorporated into one of the rear wheel arches. The maximum payload is rated at up to 1 195 kg. Continuing with its credentials, the Tasman offers a braked towing capacity of 3 500 kg and a wading depth of 800 mm (at speeds of up to 7 km/h).

X-Pro. Image: Kia

Under the metal

The Tasman was revealed with the choice of two turbocharged engine options, a 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel, producing 207 kW/421 N.m and 154 kW/441 N.m of torque, respectively. Both units are available with eight-speed automatic transmissions, while the latter can also be had with a six-speed manual gearbox (market dependent). Kia claims 0-100 km/h sprint times of 8.5 seconds (petrol) and 10.4 seconds (diesel), and a top speed of 185 km/h for both derivatives. With targeted efficiencies of 12.5 L/100 km (petrol) and 7.6 L/100 km (diesel), the Tasman should be able to travel up to 640 km (petrol) and 1 056 km (diesel) on a full 80-litre tank.

The front suspension is of the double-wishbone variety, while the rear features a rigid axle with leaf springs. The configuration includes Kia’s selective ‘Sensitive Damper Control’ and ‘Hydraulic Rebound Stop’ technology.

Image: Kia

In the metal

Now, on to the Tasman’s exterior design. It has evoked much conversation, hasn’t it? But if you weren’t aware, just take a scroll through the various social media channels, CAR’s included, and you’ll notice the reception thereof has been mixed. As soon as Kia whipped the wraps off the Tasman, its styling became the cause of debate. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Say what you will about its penmanship, the Kia looks like no other bakkie currently available. And that, too, isn’t a bad thing. It is daring. And I for one, having seen it in the metal, quite like it.

Although we’ve yet to drive it, Kia’s first attempt at a bakkie looks promising. The company has done its homework (that’s apparent), checking off the necessary boxes of requirements consumers have of a bakkie and, indeed, adding its own unique touches to produce a bakkie that, as the firm says, paves its own way.

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