Hyundai "100% welcome" to share Kia Tasman

Kia Australia has confirmed it would be all too happy to share the upcoming Tasman pick-up truck with Hyundai as the latter sets it sights on delivering a work ute within the next three years.

Speaking to carsales at the national launch of the 2025 Kia Sportage this week, Kia Australia product chief Roland Rivero said he would “100 per cent welcome” Hyundai “piggybacking off Tasman” and that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

"Group success is good for Kia … we’ve invested heavily in this all-new ladder-frame platform – if there’s greater utilisation of it across the Group, it can only be good," he said.

"From a manufacturing efficiency perspective, they (Hyundai) could help us out with amortising the development costs; there’s many benefits of growing usage of something we’ve invested in.

"There’s no reason why the two can’t both be successful.

"The two can still work side-by-side and capture some market share, so I’d be all for it."

Local Kia marketing boss Dean Norbiato added the two brands had a long history of collaboration and product sharing in virtually all of Australia’s key vehicle segments – except the light commercial space – and that it was those synergies that had driven them to their current successes.

"The Group dynamics for us, has got us to this point, and it’s a two-way street, so we’re happy for it to go both ways … and happy to support where we can."

While nowhere near signed off, newly-appointed Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano has already outlined his plan for securing and delivering an H-branded pick-up, as well as some of its key characteristics.

Romano’s ideal scenario involves leveraging the Tasman’s platform and overlaying it with a distinctly Hyundai design and matching interior to help mark it apart from Kia’s donor vehicle, with the same true of the powertrains.

In a perfect world, Romano would have the Hyundai product forego the segment’s staple turbo-diesel powertrain(s) and instead launch with either a hybrid or plug-in hybrid system to appease tightening NVES regulations, though it’s possible diesel power might have to suffice short-term.

Seemingly off the cards, however, is a rebadged Tasman clone, even though it would be the simplest, most cost-effective and time-conscious option.

Instead, Hyundai could look to leverage its budding synergy with General Motors that will reportedly grant it access to the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins, though Romano is wary of foreign exchange penalties and the financial viability of such a tie-up, especially since the GM models are only engineered for and produced in left-hand drive – at the moment.

"I would be reluctant to do that unless I knew more about it," he told carsales recently.

With Kia Australia having now publicly given its blessing for Hyundai to utilise the Tasman’s future-proof – and largely locally-developed – platform, it would seem the H-brand’s preferred course of action has just taken a big step in the right direction.

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