Kia is serious about infusing as much of an Australian flavour in its eagerly-awaited – and vitally important – first-ever mid-sized ute.
While the company is keeping its powder dry on key points of the Tasman including what badge the production version will ultimately wear when it surfaces later in 2025 or in the first half the following year, Kia Australia (KAU) product planning boss, Roland Rivero, did reveal a few boxes that the one-tonne truck must tick before it is let loose on consumers.
These include points that can sway a sale in the Kia pick-up’s favour against the best-selling Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton – including providing a superior warranty and aftersales regime, standout engineering depth, impeccable build integrity and the inevitable vast array of accessories availability.
And that’s not forgetting the all-electric version that’s set to join the diesel and possible petrol-powered models.
“Ultimately what will determine its success is that… it’s got to be a great product,” Rivero told CarsGuide at a Kia media event in Sydney earlier this month.
“It’s got to be well supported (by KAU and its dealer representatives before, during and after the sale, especially in terms of servicing and warranty), it’s got to be good quality, it’s got to have a raft of accessories available… there are multiple aspects that will determine the success of this future product.”
Still, landing on the best badge might prove to be one of the Kia’s biggest challenges, as it needs to resonate with consumers demanding a tough and rugged yet refined and sophisticated ute in Australia and New Zealand, as well as other key global markets like South Africa, South America and maybe even North America.
“I don’t know (if an Australian name) gives the vehicle a better chance, but what it does is makes us feel a lot better,” according to KAU Chief Executive Officer, Damien Meredith.
“There is an array of names that have been and will be licenced,” he said. “The decision hasn’t been made. “Tasman, Arafura (a body of water between the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea), Tanami (desert in central Australia), Strzelecki, Kosciusko… there’s been a few that have been put to them.
“The great thing is that head office is very happy having basically a nameplate put forward (that connects with Australians) … they like that idea. It hasn’t been decided, but there’s a bit of great southern land flavour permeating through.”
Rivero believes that there is still a massive amount of consumer research as well as product development left to do before the ute is ready to hit dealers, because this is new territory for Kia and so it is vital that the brand makes it on buyers’ shortlists right from the beginning.
While perceptions among people considering a new car have changed hugely over the past five years, driven by design, engineering and electrification, those who might be considering a HiLux, Ranger or Navara will still need convincing.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do leading up to when this product is launched,” Rivero said.
“Collectively, as an organisation, multiple departments are working hard to build that credibility. From a marketing perspective, we’ve got some work to do. We’ve had a lot of opportunity to research and talk to the types of customers who do purchase utes today.
“We’re very much still seen as the old Kia. We’ve never been on their shopping list because they buy workhorses and tools of trade. We know, as an organisation, that we’ve still got some work to do to build that credibility.
“They still see us as the Rio Car Brand. We’ve even asked the question: ‘Where do you see us ranked as a brand?’, and they still think we’re in number seven or eight. So, there’s a whole category of customer – blue collar types perhaps – where we’re not on their consideration; we’re not at the top of the funnel, and we’ve got work to do to convert them and change them, to make sure they understand us and see us as a future consideration.
“Amongst the heritage brands that have been here for 40 odd years, we’ve got some work to do.”
Tellingly, to help achieve this goal, Kia management is hinting that the Tasman won’t be all glitz and glam, with ultra-competitive pricing to appeal to fleet and private buyers wanting more-basic versions as an alternative to the likes of the Ranger XL and HiLux Workmate and SR.
“There’s an element of the demographic out there that historically probably hasn’t entertained the idea of Kia, and some of the markets we perform quite strongly, in the metro space, but in the blue-collar area, that’s an area of opportunity for us,” according to KAU’s new Chief Operating Officer, Dennis Piccoli.
“We’ve been quite successful in the fleet space, so we think that’s an element of strength for us moving forward, but given the array of product we’ve had in the past, we haven’t had that ladder-frame and 4×4 (vehicle types), so clearly that’s an area for us to focus on.”
And just in case you don’t know, Tasman as a name appeared on another Australian-market focused vehicle, though this time it was also built here too.
Available from 1970 to 1973 and known as the Austin Tasman (or Morris Tasman in NZ), it was the base version of the front-wheel-drive Austin 1800-based X6 range that also included the plusher Kimberley grade.
It sold poorly despite some positive reviews praising its space efficiency, comfort, economy and driving behaviour.
Coincidentally, the Austin Tasman’s job was the same as the coming Kia ute’s: to disrupt the market stranglehold enjoyed by Australia’s first and second bestselling family cars respectively – in this case the Holden Kingswood and Ford Falcon.
Obviously, Kia does not want its version of the Tasman (if that’s what the name ends up being) suffering from the same fate as Austin’s.
Keyword: Kia Kosciusko anyone? How the production Kia 'Tasman' ute will be Australian in name and nature as it takes on the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and more