2025 Kia Tasman ute confirmed for Australia, first official look

Kia Australia has formally confirmed plans to unveil its first ute before the end of this year ahead of showroom arrivals next year.

Expressions of interest have opened for the diesel dual-cab Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival, which is all but confirmed to wear the Tasman name after the badge was trademarked by Kia late last year.

Kia promises it will be the company's "most Australian product ever", with Australia at the centre of the ute's development, and its suspension to be tuned for local roads.

While a TV commercial aired by the South Korean car giant – starring 20 of Australia's top sporting stars – yesterday implies the name is yet to be decided, a series of 'Easter eggs' leave little doubt it will be called the Tasman.

At the 56-second mark a dart lands on the Tasman Sea text on a map – the body of water separating Australia and New Zealand – while the name of the pub in the advertisement starts with 'Hotel Tas-'.

Less obvious is the newspaper in the first few seconds of the ad, which references a 4x4 vehicle named 'The Tasman' – in a story titled 'Kia Ute Set for Australia' – while a photo of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, after whom the sea is named, is seen in the background of another shot.

Alongside the TV commercial – and opening of expressions of interest – Kia has teased the silhouette of its new ute on its website (top of story), with a taller, blockier profile than Australia's top-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

Drive has previously reported the Kia Tasman is due in Australian showrooms in mid 2025 with diesel power, ahead of an electric version a year or two later.

It has been photographed testing in South Korea and Sweden, the latter in the snow alongside a Ford Ranger Raptor.

The HiLux and Ranger have been identified as benchmarks for the ute, which will use diesel power, and is said to be targeting a 3500kg towing capacity and 1000kg payload.

It will use heavy-duty underpinnings, with spy photos showing leaf-spring rear suspension, and four-wheel-drive capability on sealed surfaces – as with certain Ford Ranger, VW Amarok and Mitsubishi Triton variants – on some models.

The engine planned to power the Tasman is yet to be confirmed, however the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder in the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento is the leading theory. In these vehicles it develops 148kW/441Nm.

Kia Australia has said its new ute is "due to be unveiled in late 2024, with the first Australian examples expected to hit local roads in 2025."

In a media statement, Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith said: "We are now officially taking Expressions of Interest (EOI) on the Kia Australia website, for both private and fleet customers, and we invite all ute-loving Australians to sign up and join us on the journey.

"As an incentive, the EOI group will be kept up to date of the latest news and developments from now, right up until its Australian launch in 2025."

Kia Australia has previously told dealers of plans to introduce a ute – and executives have spoken about the vehicle at length with media in interviews – however until now it has not formally confirmed the vehicle in a media release or marketing.