2025 Kia Tasman Pickup Puts On Some Thick Clothes for Testing in Freezing Cold

Word on the street is that the Kia Tasman will take a swing at the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ram 1500 REV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Tesla Cybertruck, and other zero-emission workhorses with battery-electric power.

Not much is known about this version yet, and it has been reported that it might also gain some good old internal combustion units. A 2.5L turbocharged mill should be on the list, alongside a 2.2-liter CRDi turbodiesel. The latter is expected to have over 200 horsepower, and the former might be the one currently powering the Hyundai Sonata N-Line, which churns out 290 horsepower.

Lesser versions are expected with two-wheel drive, and a four-wheel drive system will likely be limited to the more expensive trim levels. The Tasman is believed to feature an automatic transmission, and its body-on-frame construction, perhaps shared with the Mohave/Borrego, will make it a great performer off the beaten path. Kia will obviously up the ante with lots of safety gear; some believe it will also sport semi-autonomous driving.

In the looks part, the 2025 Kia Tasman likely hides an intricate lighting signature beneath the thick camouflage. We may be looking at Y-shaped headlights and DRLs, similar to the renderings we covered at the beginning of the month. Everything points to it being available in the dual-cab configuration, and it will have a generous bed behind the passenger compartment.

This prototype, which was caught testing in northern Sweden recently, showed a very generous ground clearance and a rather long wheelbase, which, together with clever packaging, should translate to a roomy (for this class) cockpit. Chances are the Korean automaker will sprinkle it with digital gauges, a wireless charging pad, heated and ventilated front seats, and some other bits and bobs. Nevertheless, the best items will be reserved for the upper specs.

Reports speak of Kia launching the Tasman in South Korea and Australia, and certain outlets believe it will also make its way to Europe, likely with the aforementioned low-revving mill. It has also been reported that the new pickup might apply for a U.S. visa, perhaps arriving in our market either as a 2025 or a 2026 model year.

As we already told you, Kia is understood to pull the wraps off the Tasman sometime next year, and by then, we expect to know a lot of stuff about it from additional reports, spy shots, and perhaps leaks. So, would you be ready to kick the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, or any other similarly-sized pickup out of bed for it?