Will Kia’s New Tasman Ute Pave the Way for a Rugged SUV?

The all-new Kia Tasman ute is generating excitement in the Australian market, but Kia fans are left wondering: will it inspire a rugged SUV counterpart? Although Kia has yet to confirm any plans, its Australian division has shown enthusiasm for the idea. After all, nearly every major ute in Australia has a matching SUV, such as the Ford Ranger and Everest, Toyota HiLux and Fortuner, and Isuzu D-Max and MU-X.

Kia Australia's General Manager of Product Planning, Roland Rivero, has expressed a strong interest in seeing an SUV version of the Tasman. “We’ve got our hand up for one if it was decided globally,” Rivero stated, citing the success of models like the Ford Everest as evidence of the demand for such vehicles. However, the decision ultimately depends on support from Kia’s global markets, as the Tasman was developed with a wide range of international markets in mind, including Korea, parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America.

A Strong Foundation: Ladder-Frame Platform

Built on a robust ladder-frame platform, the Tasman is positioned to support a durable, off-road-ready SUV. The ute is set to launch in Australia with Kia’s 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, shared with the Carnival and Sorento models, providing the power and efficiency suited to both on-road and off-road applications. For testing, Kia even used prototypes of its Mohave SUV—a body-on-frame model available in Korea—as mules to refine the Tasman.

Filling a Gap in Kia’s Global Lineup

If an SUV based on the Tasman does materialize, it could address a gap in Kia's lineup. Currently, Kia’s large SUVs include the body-on-frame Mohave, sold in Korea, and the US-built Telluride, but neither vehicle is offered in Australia due to being left-hand drive only. The Mohave, which is reportedly nearing discontinuation, features a turbo-diesel V6, but a successor model might emerge with the Tasman’s platform as a foundation, potentially catering to right-hand drive markets.

Potential in the SUV Segment

Should the Tasman’s platform ultimately support an SUV, Kia would join a strong roster of ute-SUV pairings in Australia. Without an SUV version, however, the Tasman would stand alongside models like the Volkswagen Amarok, which lacks an SUV counterpart of its own (though it shares its platform with Ford’s Everest). Globally, brands such as Nissan with the Navara-based Terra and GWM with its Tank SUVs have shown there is value in developing SUV versions of popular utes.

While there’s no official word from Kia on whether an SUV companion for the Tasman is in the works, the platform and interest from Kia Australia are promising signs. For now, fans of the brand will have to keep a close eye on global developments, hoping for an SUV that brings Kia’s off-road capability and rugged styling to Australian roads.