Kia used the 2024 Jeddah auto show on last week in Saudi Arabia for the debut of its first pickup truck, the midsize Tasman.
The Tasman is a proper truck featuring body-on-frame construction and, depending on the market, will offer the choice of gas or diesel powertrains. Buyers will also be able to choose from manual and automatic transmissions, and single- and dual-cab bodies.
2025 Kia Tasman
The gas powertrain is a 2.5-liter inline-4 rated at 277 hp, which will only be offered with the automatic, in this case an 8-speed. Kia estimates 0-62 mph acceleration in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 115 mph.
The diesel is a 2.2-liter turbo-4 with 207 hp. It will be offered with either the automatic or a 6-speed manual. Kia said the diesel requires 10.4 seconds to accelerate to 62 mph from rest, and the top speed is unchanged from the gas engine.
2025 Kia Tasman
The Tasman measures 213 inches long, making it longer than popular midsize trucks like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. It also features a 5.0-foot bed with a volume of 41.4 cubic feet and a maximum payload rating of 2,634 pounds. The towing capacity is 7,716 pounds.
The Tasman starts sales in the first half of 2025 in Kia's home market of Korea, before heading to markets in Africa and West Asia, plus Australia. A U.S. launch hasn't been ruled out but is unlikely unless production starts here, given the punitive tariffs placed on imported light trucks. Kia is instead expected to focus on an electric truck in the U.S., which the automaker previously confirmed as one of 14 EVs due by the end of 2027.
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