Every adventure, no matter how mundane or exciting, needs a bloody good steed. A vehicle that’s reliable, capable and is ready to impress whenever it can. Kia has risen to the occasion with their newest beast — the Kia Tasman — and it’s more than ready to handle your next adventure.
Now, us Aussies love a good ute. In fact, some would say it’s the quintessential Australian car. Kia have used that, as well as the rugged and diverse land of this beautiful country itself, to inspire their first ever ute. And it’s ready to reserve now.
But don’t just take our word for it — let’s have a look at the facts. Set for release in mid-2025, the Kia Tasman ute is all about doing it big. Whether you’re on the job or off the road, this car is built to fit everything you need, starting with its most obvious asset — the huge tray. It can fit up to 1,173L of cargo in the tray, including an Aussie standard pallet, meaning you can bring along whatever you need with you.
And, if the tray’s not big enough for you, the Kia Tasman ute’s towing power sure will be. With a towing rating of 3,500kg & 350kg tow ball mass rating, the Tasman stays up for the task. With all that capacity, it needs an engine powerful enough to handle the load. Luckily, this ute has a 2.2L turbo diesel engine, featuring 154kW of power and 440Nm of torque, and it's paired with a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission. This is a car that doesn’t just talk the talk — it walks the walk, wherever you take it.
Speaking of destinations, the Kia Tasman Ute is built for any type of journey, and on any type of terrain. The chassis and suspension technology balances smoothness on-road while never losing the juice off-road. But, with the car’s Terrain and X-Trek modes*, the Tasman is able to handle snow, mud, sand, rock and beyond with safety and power. The X-Trek mode also lets the car traverse these terrains at a low speed, because every adrenaline rush needs its cool down. And, in case that wasn’t enough, the ute comes with a Ground View Monitor*, that displays a virtual view of upcoming terrain that helps you dodge any potential hazards — the future is well and truly now, folks.
On that note, just because this vehicle is ready for the rugged nature this country’s known for, does not mean that the Kia Tasman Ute isn’t a modern, forward-thinking beast. When you first open the car door, the first thing you’ll likely see is the colossal, 75cm combined integrated panoramic display. With sat nav and wireless Android and Apple AirPlay, you can always stay connected.
Whether you’re on-site or off-road, you can also keep your tools, gear and equipment charged thanks to a 240V power outlet in a tray* (and an additional one behind the centre console). The centre console* isn’t all it seems, either, as the armrest can fold out to a table that turns the Tasman into a workplace, wherever you are. Oh, and you can say see ya later to annoying charging cords, as you (and your passenger) can keep your phones charged with the built-in dual wireless chargers*.
To put it simply, once you step into the Kia Tasman Ute, you’ll never want to leave. And, thanks to its unreal capabilities, you might never have to. This is a car built for weekday through to weekend, and to ensure that you’re one of the ahead-of-the-curve Aussies in the driver’s seat come release, you can reserve your very own Kia Tasman Ute today.
*Not all features mentioned within this article are available on all spec levels of the Kia Tasman.
This article originally appeared on LADbible Australia.
Featured Image Credit: Supplied
The SPORTbible Team