Kia Tasman Spied Again, New Pickup Due Next Year As Ford Ranger Rival

That said, another prototype was immortalized by our spies recently, hiding its design cues beneath thick camouflage.

Once the wraps come off, we expect the pickup to feature an intricate styling up front. It should feature vertical daytime running lights inspired by the ones of the EV9 and Sorento and what appears to be a rather large grille.

Its overall shape is boxy, and it features vertical LED taillamps on each side of the tailgate. The rear bumper has a recess for the license plate, and we can also see the large side mirrors. We wouldn't hold our breath for any radical gizmos, as this will be a traditional workhorse with the usual ICE power and a body-on-frame construction.

The underpinnings are believed to be shared with the Mohave/Borego, so it should be quite potent off the beaten path, especially when fitted with the right tires. We expect it to get a low-range gearbox, and in the powertrain department, it's been said to pack a diesel.

It is likely the 2.2L CRDi that should pump out over 200 horsepower, perhaps joined by the Sonata N-Line's 2.5L turbo gasoline unit, which makes 290 hp on the sedan. The four-wheel drive system will probably be reserved for the upper specs, as lesser models should launch with two-wheel drive. All of them are understood to feature an automatic transmission.

Recent information reveals Kia has been working on the Tasman for over five years, and it appears it won't target the likes of the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, as instead, it should be positioned against the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and other similarly-sized trucks.

Named after the Tasman Sea that separates Australia and New Zealand, the upcoming Kia Tasman will target the Australian market primarily, yet it should also launch in other regions, like the Middle East and South Africa. If everything goes as planned, the car manufacturer will release more details about it towards the end of the year, prior to its introduction set for 2025.

On a different note, Kia has another pickup in the making, and it appears that it will be a battery-electric proposal destined for North America. Thus, it will inevitably take on the Tesla Cybertruck, Ram 1500 REV, Ford F-150 Lighting, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and others. It will probably make use of the E-GMP platform, which currently underpins the EV5, EV6, EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Genesis GV60. It will be interesting to learn more about this yet-unnamed model, as well as the upcoming Tasman, as the testing phase advances.