Kia has provided a glimpse of its new midsize pickup in action, taking on rough terrain in California.
The automaker released a video on its YouTube channel showing the Kia Tasman during testing in the Alabama Hills, a range of rocks and formations at the base of the Sierra Madre mountains. The pickup, mostly disguised with its camouflage wrap, takes on the sand, rocks, and 40-degree inclines.
Kia did not provide much information about the midsize pickup in the video, but one person clearly told the driver of the Tasman to switch to 4-Lo in preparation for a descent.
The name Tasman draws inspiration from the island state of Tasmania, which sits off the southeastern coast of Australia.
The video of the Tasman is the latest in a series of clips created by Kia. The automaker first provided a teaser of the truck in action, saying that engineers had conducted 18,000 rounds of testing in 1,777 different types of tests.
The videos showed glimpses of these rigorous tests. There was footage of the Tasman hauling a cargo trailer down the highway. There was also footage of the midsize pickup going through fairly deep water. One quick clip showed the pickup navigating snowy conditions.
While Kia hasn't provided a full look at the Tasman, it has shared details about the bright camouflage wrap. A mixed-media artist named Richard Boyd-Dunlop created the design and focused on Australia as the inspiration. He specifically mentioned hitchhiking through the Australian outback.
The Kia Tasman will be available for purchase in multiple confirmed countries in 2025 as part of a phased global release plan. Australia is obviously on the list. Consumers in Africa, Korea, and the Middle East will also have the opportunity to get their hands on the new pickup.
Kia has not provided any information about plans to sell the Tasman in the United States. All imported trucks face a 25% tariff nicknamed the "Chicken Tax," something President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced in the 1960s.
The South Korean automaker has a plant in Georgia, so there is a potential avenue for manufacturing the Tasman stateside and then selling it without the Chicken Tax. However, this plant currently manufactures the Telluride, Sorento, Sportage, and EV9.