The Kia Tasman Isn't Coming to America, But It Gives Me Hope for Hyundai's Future Truck

• The Kia Tasman is a pickup truck sold overseas.
• But Hyundai — Kia's parent company — has plans to launch a new midsize truck in the United States.
• Could the Tasman be a preview of things to come?

— Sydney, NSW, Australia

Kia doesn't sell a pickup truck in the U.S., and the company has repeatedly said there are no plans to bring the ugly-cool Tasman to the States. But with the looming news of a new midsize pickup from Hyundai — Kia's parent company — perhaps it's worth taking a closer look at the Tasman because its bones might/could find a home on American soil after all.

On a recent vacation in Australia (it was great, thanks for asking), I spent some time driving a Tasman in and around greater Sydney. Down Under, midsize trucks reign supreme; the Ford Ranger is the country's best-selling vehicle, and the Tasman competes against a whole smattering of pickups we don't get in America from companies like BYD, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and more. What a world.

What makes a Tasman?

Like trucks sold stateside, the Tasman is offered in a whole bunch of trims. Only the most basic Tasman S comes with rear-wheel drive; four-wheel drive is optional on that spec and standard everywhere else. The SX, SX+ and X-Line models round out the heart of the lineup, and there's a rugged-as-heck X-Pro. You can even order the Tasman in an upfitter-ready chassis cab configuration, if your work/play balance skews more heavily toward the former.

The Tasman uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine in some countries, but Aussies can only buy this truck with a 2.2-liter diesel that makes 206 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque. It's a pretty gruff engine, both in how it feels and how it sounds, but it's torquey and more than enough to get the Tasman up and moving with authority. Happily, the smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission's refinement mitigates some of that agricultural vibe.

The Tasman drives, well, like a truck — and I mean that in a good way. This isn't a car-based pickup like a Honda Ridgeline; the Tasman's body-on-frame construction makes it more robust and better suited to tough-guy truck stuff. Riding on 17-inch wheels and with an empty bed, the Tasman hops over bumps on rougher Australian roads. A Ranger is more comfortable, but the Tasman won't put off people who've spent time in a Colorado or Toyota Tacoma.

When properly equipped, the Tasman SX 4x4 pictured here can tow 7,700 pounds with a maximum bed payload of 2,260 pounds. For reference, that's 200 more pounds of towing and 472 more pounds of payload capacity than a U.S.-spec Ford Ranger with its 2.3-liter turbocharged engine offers. The Tasman can tow as much as the current American midsize truck class leaders, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

A purposeful, comfortable interior

The Tasman's dimensions don't really come across in photos — it honestly looks huge but is actually right in line with other midsize trucks. It has the same 128.7-inch wheelbase as a Ranger, though the Tasman is about 2.5 inches longer overall. Width and height specs are nearly identical: The Ranger is a hamburger patty taller than the Tasman, while the Kia is only a skosh wider — about half an inch.

America's midsize trucks aren't exactly luxurious, even in their most premium trims. But the Tasman's interior is a breath of fresh air — though it's admittedly hard to tell with this truck's drab gray-and-black color scheme. Where a Toyota Tacoma has sandpaper-grade cloth on unsupportive seats, the Tasman has plush fabric wrapping surprisingly comfy chairs. It's quiet inside, too, something you wouldn't necessarily expect from a truck with so many squared-off edges.

Kia didn't just graft the interior from another car into the Tasman and call it a day. Sure, the overall design will be familiar to folks who've been in, say, an EV9. And the dual 12.3-inch displays running the Kia Connect multimedia system are also found across Kia's lineup. But while other Kias have small, flush-mounted haptic-response controls along the console, the Tasman has big ol' buttons. All the rockers and rollers have a knurled metal finish. The door handles are solid and sturdy. Everything is chunky and easy to use. All of this is important for a truck — you don't want to be dealing with small toggles or haptic nonsense while wearing work gloves.

Passenger space in the Tasman is comparable to other midsize trucks. Backseat riders have slightly more legroom in the Kia than they do in a Ford Ranger, and it's great that the Tasman's rear doors open to nearly 90 degrees — this makes getting in and out of the truck super easy. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to stash items large and small, and the rear seats flip up to reveal additional storage cubbies, or to just make room for carrying tall items you don't want sliding around in the bed.

Would the Tasman work in America?

I mean, sure, in theory. If Kia found a way to localize production to avoid hefty tariffs and priced the Tasman competitively, this truck would certainly be an interesting — and unusual-looking — challenger in a segment that's more popular than ever. None of this will happen, though; the Tasman will continue to be a foreign affair.

But there's a bigger, more important takeaway from my time in the Tasman. This truck proves that Kia — and by extension its parent company, Hyundai — knows how to build a pickup that checks the right boxes for American customers. I've spent a ton of time in the Colorado, Ranger and Tacoma, and the Tasman feels every bit as competitive. This all bodes well for Hyundai's upcoming midsize truck. I just hope it's easier on the eyes.

Photos by Jake Williams