Kia recently introduced the brand’s first pickup truck at the Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia. It’s called the Kia Tasman, and Kia claims it sets the benchmark for the company’s future pickup truck range. Love the idea and execution or not, it doesn’t matter—it’s not for our market and probably never will be. Alas, it’s still interesting, and the fact that we’re talking about it means one thing—it’s diesel. One step further, it’s a diesel backed by a six-speed manual. And you thought it was an EV, didn’t you?

According to Ho Sung Song, President and CEO at Kia, “The Kia Tasman is a progressive pickup truck that follows its own path—not the competition. The Kia Tasman combines true pickup values with exceptional capability and practicality, and advanced features that defy conventional thinking. This essence is instilled in our global slogan ‘Dive into a New Dimension,’ enabling customers to broaden their horizons. It offers world-first solutions for those seeking a lifestyle vehicle for leisure and outdoor activities while meeting the needs of small business operators, such as traders and farmers.”

The global Kia Tasman is built on a body-on-frame platform and has a leaf-sprung rear with Kia’s frequency selective Sensitive Damper Control (SDC) and Hydraulic Rebound Stop technology. The air intake is inside the fender, allowing for water fording depths up to 31.5 inches. Certain interior parts use waterproof connectors, so apparently Kia is telling us to go swimming. You can get the Base trim in two-wheel drive. Otherwise, you’re looking at four-wheel drive. The X-Pro has an automatically engaging rear Electronic Locking Differential (e-LD), X-Trek mode (like low-speed off-road cruise control), an additional Rock mode, and a Ground View Monitor.

The Australian market gets the diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Certain Middle East and Africa markets get the diesel mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission (A8TR1-1) or a six-speed manual transmission (M6VR2). These latter markets also get a less efficient, more powerful, quicker turbocharged 2.5-liter gas engine. The diesel engine (Diesel New R – D4HIII FR 2.2) is a 2.2-liter that makes about 207 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. At about 21 gallons, the Tasman fuel tank is only 3 gallons short of that found in the diesel Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2, for example. All Tasmans can tow about 7,700 pounds.

So how big is the new Kia Tasman? At 17.7 feet long, it’s the length of our midsize Chevy Colorado Crew Cab, for example. To put this into perspective, it’s about 3 feet shorter than a four-door, short-bed Chevy Silverado 2500HD or Ford F-250 Super Duty.

The Tasman will launch in the Korean domestic market during the first half of 2025, followed by Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. Kia expect Saudi Arabia to be a strong market. Don’t expect the Tasman to debut anytime in the US, but it you see one, you’re not crazy. It has been stateside for testing.