Kia in South Korea has provided our first hint at how much the new Tasman ute will cost in Australia – and it may command HiLux or Triton money.
The top-of-the-range 2025 Kia Tasman may be priced within a few thousand dollars of a Ford Ranger Wildtrak bi-turbo when it arrives in Australia last year, if overseas RRPs are a guide.
South Korean prices for the Tasman have been announced, with four variants starting from 37.5 million won, and topping out with the X-Pro off-road special at 52.4 million won.
While those RRPs equate to between $AU41,100 and $AU57,500 through a direct currency conversion, the cost of shipping it to Australia, and homologating the car to local standards may push up the price.
Kia Tasman utes sold in South Korea are fitted with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, not the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder destined for local showrooms.
The positioning of other utes in the South Korean market – as well as other cars in the Kia range – hint at how much the brand's first ute could cost in Australia.
A top-of-the-range Kia Sorento Hybrid front-wheel drive SUV is a similar price to the Tasman X-Pro in South Korea, but lists for $70,330 plus on-road costs in Australia.
Meanwhile, a Ford Ranger Wildtrak bi-turbo and top-spec KGM SsangYong Musso XLV list for 63.5 million and 41.9 million won in South Korea, or $AU69,500 and $AU45,800 converted to Australian currency.
In Australia, the same vehicles are more expensive – $69,640 plus on-road costs and $50,500 drive-away (or about $48,000 plus on-roads) respectively.
Based on the percentage differences between their Korean and Australian prices, it would suggest an RRP of between $58,000 and $63,000 for the top-spec Tasman X-Pro in Australia.
Such a price would place it in line with a Mitsubishi Triton GSR ($63,840 plus on-roads), Toyota HiLux SR5 ($63,260), and not-as-well-equipped Ford Ranger XLT bi-turbo ($63,640).
Meanwhile, the cheapest Tasman in its home market is sold with two-wheel drive, and would undercut a single-turbo Ford Ranger XL dual-cab pick-up ($43,280 plus on-roads) if offered locally at its $41,000 equivalent Korean RRP.
Tasman specifications for Australia are yet to be revealed, but it's expected there will be at least three model grades – a standard trim, X-Line and X-Pro – initially in dual-cab form only.
Single-cab versions are due to follow at a later date.
Limited details of standard equipment have been announced for South Korea, but flagship versions offer dual 12.3-inch screens, a Harman Kardon premium stereo, wireless phone charging, and sliding rear seats.
Safety features available include adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist 2 lane centring, remote parking from the key fob, and parking sensors.
Unique to the X-Pro is a 28mm-higher ride height (at 252mm), all-terrain tyres, electronic rear diffrential lock, low-speed off-road cruise control, and a Rock mode, 'transparent bonnet' off-road cameras.
Korean models use a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with 207kW and 422Nm, delivering claimed fuel consumption of 11.6L/100km in the base two-wheel-drive version, and a 3500kg braked tow rating across the range.
Meanwhile, Australian versions will be capable of the same braked towing capacity, but from a 154kW/441Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
