Kia Australia says customers and fleet operators interested in the Tasman ute are already asking about plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power, which could prioritise the introduction of this powertrain tech during the model’s lifecycle.
Speaking with CarExpert, general manager for product at Kia Australia, Roland Rivero, said early feedback from customers and fleets includes requests for a rival to the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger PHEV.
“I think you know very well there are competitors out there having a bit of success with plug-in hybrid [utes],” Mr Rivero said. “So naturally and organically, some fleets [and] customers are actually asking for that type of powertrain to be brought forward.
“This is a long game, particularly with a commercial vehicle, working with R&D, working with headquarters. We’ve got every intention of a long product lifecycle with Tasman, and a generation after and more to come – watch this space.”
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Clickhereto get a great deal.
While there has been no official confirmation of which forms of electrification the Tasman will eventually offer, Mr Rivero has previously told CarExpert that Kia’s global parent is “definitely” looking into hybridised and EV powertrains.
“So what’s on the cards of being studied and reviewed, there’s definitely hybrid and [full] electrification. When, is still very much TBC,” Mr Rivero said in May, adding that the Tasman’s ladder-frame chassis is a “fairly modular platform” which can “underpin numerous powertrains”.
For now, however, Australia is only getting a Euro 5 emissions-compliant version (ie: no AdBlue) of the carmaker’s 154kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, matched to both 4×2 and 4×4 drivetrains. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard.
The 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine offered in the Korean market has been ruled out for Australia, due to pressure from the Australian Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which will see carmakers financially penalised for not meeting average emissions caps from July 1, 2025.
The turbo-petrol motor available abroad could, however, be implemented in a future hybrid drivetrain.
Earlier this year the Hyundai Motor Group – parent of the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands – detailed the next generation of its hybrid technologies, hinting at its future product plans.
Debuting in the new Hyundai Palisade large SUV, which is powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol hybrid system, the new set of electrified technologies are claimed to improve performance and efficiency, as well as general driveability.
You can read more about ithere, but the takeaway relating to the Tasman is a small note in the release stating that a rear-wheel drive-biased version of the 2.5 turbo hybrid is in the works for a 2026 introduction.
While this is likely being developed primarily for the Genesis luxury division, it could also be tailored to the Tasman ute, given it already employs the non-hybrid version of that powertrain.
As for a battery-electric version, Kia South Africa’s head of marketing, Christo Valentyn, toldCarBuzzin December last year that aTasman EV was definitely “coming”, though he didn’t give an indication on timing.
“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but… an electric one is coming,” Mr Valentyn reportedly said at a media roundtable.
Kia confirmedglobally in 2022that it was working on two utes: “a dedicated electric pickup truck and a strategic model for emerging markets”, the latter of which is understood to be a battery-electric Tasman derivative.
An electric Tasman would give Kia a rival for the upcoming LDV eTerron 9, while other brands like Ford have indicated globally that they’re working on electric utes of their own to compete in this segment.
There are also an increasing number of traditional hybrid (GWM Cannon AlphaandToyota Tundra) and plug-in hybrid (BYD Shark 6,Ford Ranger PHEVandGWM Cannon Alpha Hi4-T) utes already on sale in Australia.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts on the idea of a Tasman PHEV in the comments section below!