Introduction
Kia recently unveiled its first-ever pickup truck, the Tasman. As the name suggests, it is a Kia Ute (that’s Australian for pickup truck) with rather odd-looking styling but a very capable kit (on paper at least) aimed at conquering the terrain of places like Saudi Arabia and Australia.
While officially, Kia has not made any hints at it coming to India, we think it has potential and here are four reasons why we think Kia should get the Tasman to our market.
Premium push
Kia currently has six cars in its line-up, of which three are budget models and three are ultra-premium with a pricing over Rs. 60 lakh. For a manufacturer like Kia to have three cars in that price bracket is indicative of a plan to make a premium image for itself. The Tasman would add a completely new angle to the game in terms of offerings and entice those willing to spend on cars like the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota Hilux.
Lifestyle products
We come back to the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota Hilux once again as they are lifestyle products. They cater to a specific audience that wants something unique, large, and quite capable of taking the road less travelled/ not travelled at all. This audience usually comprises those who have lived abroad at some point and had access to such cars as well as those who want a second or third vehicle with a unique proposition.
2.2-litre diesel engine
This was kind of expected given the nature of the vehicle in question as well as the Australian market. But the bigger implication is that this engine is already doing duty in the new-gen Carnival and thus already has a base in terms of sales and service. In the Tasman, it produces 201bhp/442Nm and is mated to an eight-speed AT. The off-road kit is pretty comprehensive with high ground clearance, a low-range gearbox, locking differentials, and 4WD.
New angle for Kia PBV push
Last year at the Auto Expo, Kia displayed its PBVs (purpose-built vehicles) for India. These were an ambulance, a police cruiser, and a fire response vehicle, all built off the Carens. We think the base model Tasman (shown in the pictures) being added to this would open a new angle for the PBV push. It would target cars like the Isuzu D-Max, which currently holds a strong position in the commercial pick up space.
