Kia has been hard at work on its new ute in recent months, and while a name for the new model is yet to be confirmed, a new advertisement suggests it’ll be called the long-rumoured Tasman.
In fact, the ad is essentially one big teaser for what the ute will be called, with several easter eggs being found throughout alluding to its Australian and New Zealand-relevant moniker.
The opening shot of the video gives us our first clue, with a newspaper clipping that reads: “One standout model making its debut is The Tasman, a versatile 4X4 engineered to take Australia’s diverse landscapes.”
Another shot shows a dart landing directly on a map of the Tasman Sea, the body of water between New Zealand and Australia. And at the very end of the clip, the Hotel appears to be named the Tasman.
We should note that the video was created by Kia Australia’s marketing department which says this is the brand’s “most Australian product ever”. That bodes well for us across the ditch too.
Little has been confirmed as far as the model’s technical specifications go, but it has been spied testing overseas with what we understand is a diesel powertrain as well as a fully electric alternative that will be released at a later date.
Both the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux have been used as benchmarks for the Kia according to overseas reports, meaning it will likely boast an industry-standard towing capacity of 3500kg and a 1000kg payload capacity.
The Australian arm of Kia says the Tasman ute will be unveiled in late 2024, with showroom arrivals expected in 2025.
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