Dual-cab game-changer? New Kia Tasman ute eyes potent turbo-hybrid to battle Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux – but promised EV a no-show for now

November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 Bruce Newton 1348 Views 0 Comments bev, diesel, hybrid, Kia, PHEV, Tasman

A new-generation petrol-electric hybrid powertrain will be the first step beyond traditional diesel taken by the highly-anticipated new Kia Tasman ute.

But it won’t succeed diesel any time soon and a plug-in hybrid or all-electric Tasman still appears years away from sale in Australia.

Revealed last week to brutal public commentary because of its exterior styling, the Tasman will launch in Australia in the second half of 2025 powered only by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine.

The new 2.5-litre petrol-electric TMED-II powertrain makes its debut in the Hyundai Palisade in January 2025.

Developed by Kia’s parent the Hyundai Motor Company it could be slotted into Tasman as soon as 2026, although Kia Australia is not admitting to exact timelines.

“It’s [hybrid Tasman] not from the get-go and it’s not lined up at this very point in time,” said Kia Australia product chief Roland Rivero.

Power and torque numbers have yet to be released, but HMC has claimed improved performance compared to the current TMED hybrid system and the addition of smart regenerative braking and Vehicle to Load V2L capacity.

The addition of the hybrid will help improve the Tasman’s environmental credentials, especially important with the New Vehicle Emissions Standard kicking off this year.

However, it’s unlikely to challenge the capabilities of the plug-in BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger PHEV and GWM Cannon Alpha Hi4T that soon launch.

Rivero said predicted diesel would carry on in Australia for a while yet.

“I think diesel has still got a lot of mileage left in our country in the commercial space and definitely in the light commercial [ute] space.

“I wouldn’t rule it out just yet.”

On the flipside, he was not predicting a battery electric Tasman any time soon.

That’s despite recent reports from Korea indicating an electric Tasman could be seen as soon as the end of 2026.

But while Tasman’s ladder frame is package protected for various forms of electrification including BEV, there are other issues to consider Rivero explained.

“It’s a global commercial case, a business case,” he said. “If you think of the regions where we will source and sell Tasman; it’s South America, the Middle East, Africa, parts of Asia, domestic market (Korea) and ourselves and New Zealand.

“A lot of them don’t really have great EV infrastructure including ourselves. So we have really got to think business case.

“When that commercial case starts to become a lot more appealing, and the infrastructure is there and the support is then … we can react quite swiftly and probably more swiftly than other brands.

“We’ve developed the platform to be modular enough to be able to accommodate it [BEV].”

While the business case for a Tasman EV is clouded, Kia remains committed to a dedicated electric pick-up first announced in 2022.