The Kia Tasman is a cool-looking pickup. There, I said it. I’m an unapologetic enthusiast of strange and out-of-place cars. One of my dream cars is an AMC Pacer and I loved the taillights on the new Hyundai Santa Fe so this is right up my alley.Related: Driving the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Off-Road, in Moab, UT.The Kia Tasman leads the way with unique creativityYou might have seen the Kia Tasman make headlines not only as Kia’s first pickup truck but as one designed by someone who only plays Roblox and Cyberpunk 2077. Named after the Tasman Sea, this rugged beast on four wheels was designed solely with right-angle rulers. There are nearly no curves in sight and exudes a perfect mix of tough utilitarian and futuristic vibes.
2025 Kia Tasman X-Pro RearKia
Right off the bat, the lights are one of my favorite design cues. The headlight integration into the fender clears up the front end for its massive grille and gives it an almost ram forehead. The C-shaped taillights help the futuristic vibe and are further accented by black plastic surrounds that make them look modular like a big car Lego model.Big thumbs down for the plastic claddingI will admit though that I am not entirely a Tasman glazer. I despise the black plastic fender cladding with a passion. I hated them on the bZ4x, I hated them on the new Outback, and I hate them here. There’s nothing that makes your car look cheaper than black unpainted plastic. At least Saturn had a reason for doing it. Sure they give the truck a more rugged look, but there are better ways of achieving that.
2025 Kia Tasman InteriorKia
The interior is largely standard with some stand-out detailsThe cabin lets the exterior down a bit, looking mostly like any other modern truck or SUV but there are a few key details worth mentioning. Look nearly everywhere and you’ll see some sort of right angle. The cupholders, the steering wheel, the speakers, and even some of the gauges in the digital cluster.Kia also listened to consumers’ desires and extracted the basic AC controls to tactile buttons rather than touchscreen menus. Speaking of buttons, oh my god, that knurled diamond finish that extends to the door handles pairs so well with the industro-futuristic design elements. It’s as if a Bentley decided to become an engineer in its spare time.
2025 Kia Tasman Double Cab Utility BedKia
Kia also imbued ample practicality into the Tasman Not only does the Kia Tasman stand out design-wise, but its practicality also outweighs some of the trucks currently on the market. Other than the double and single-cab chassis options, the Tasman can also be optioned with a flat steel bed and numerous accessories like a sports bar and a ladder rack. If you’ve got work at 1 but off-roading at 8, we’ve got your prime candidate right here.The rear seats also flip up revealing extra storage underneath.
2025 Kia Tasman Single Cab Utility BedKia
Related: Do sports cars lose their souls when they lose their ICE engines?No electrification to be seen hereArguably the best part of the whole deal is the lack of any sort of forced electrification. Both the off-road X-Line and the off-road-looking X-Pro trims come with either a 2.5-liter gas or a 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder engine. The former is stuck with an eight-speed automatic transmission while the latter can be optioned with a six-speed manual.Maximum payload capacity is 2,635 pounds while towing tops out at 7,716 pounds.
2025 Kia Tasman Double Cab CustomizedKia
Of course, the US won’t get the TasmanNow for the worst part. As with many other tremendous automobiles, the US will not get the Tasman, as Kia instead focuses on Australia and New Zealand. The reason as you might have guessed if you’re well-versed in this kind of situation is the fun-spoiling chicken tax. This ludicrously outdated 1964 law places a 25% tariff on light trucks not made in the US. This has kept us from getting any of the cool small trucks produced by other countries since then and directly leading to our ubiquitous and monstrous mall-crawling F150s.
2025 Kia Tasman X-Pro SideKia
Final thoughtsThere you have it then. The Kia Tasman is creativity incarnate and a prime example of how not to make a boring truck in today’s oversaturated market. It might be too different for some and that’s understandable but look at it this way. Would you rather have an EV SUV, or this?Related: Ford hits brakes on F-150 Lightning production as EV demand fades