No cheaper Kia Tasman grades on the way

Kia Australia has ruled out the possibility of an even cheaper or sparser trim level for its new Tasman ute, insisting the current S grade will remain the entry point to the range.

The 2025 Kia Tasman range comprises five trim levels: S, SX, SX+, X-Line and X-Pro – in that order.

With its steel wheels and bottom of the range equipment list, the entry-level S is predictably aimed at fleet buyers and tradies chasing a workhorse, but that doesn’t mean it misses out on some goodies.

Keyless entry and start, dual 12.3-inch screens (infotainment, digital instrument cluster), a 5.0-inch climate control interface, electronic park brake, five drive modes, leather steering wheel, remote start, front parking sensors and disc rear brakes are all included as standard on the base model, with the 4x4 versions adding three terrain modes and a full-time 4x4 system.

When asked if a lower-spec Tasman – i.e. analogue dials, manual park brake, no front parking sensors, part-time 4x4 (2H, 4H, 2L), no keyless or remote start, drum rear brakes etc – was possible, Kia Australia product boss Roland Rivero answered with a resounding “no”.

“The specs you refer to have not been developed,” he said.

“S will remain the base trim, however ... it will [also] be offered in single cab chassis and double cab chassis [forms].”

The Tasman S 4x2 starts from $42,990 plus on-road costs in double cab pick-up form and $49,990 plus on-roads for the corresponding 4x4; roughly $2000 and $4000 cheaper than the equivalent Isuzu D-Max SXs.

An important note here, however, is that the Isuzus – which don’t come with a lot of the Tasman’s toys – are available with a downsized 2.2-litre engine that shaves $2000 of the relevant asking prices, whereas the Kia is a one-size-fits-all offering.

The dual-cab Tasman S’ also undercut the equivalent Ford Ranger XS’ and Toyota Hilux Workmates, so for now we can only imagine how much cheaper an eponymous sub-S Tasman would be.

Whether or not such a vehicle would boost the all-new Korean ute’s sales is unclear, though it almost certainly wouldn’t hurt.

According to the latest round of VFacts data, Kia has sold 2499 Tasmans since the model’s April release, a figure Rivero implied would grow exponentially as the single cab and remaining cab chassis variants come to market, along with the full range of genuine accessories, complete body builder’s guide and the eventual awarding of a five-star ANCAP safety rating to the incoming variants.

“We’re outselling the likes of Navara and Amarok and nibbling at BT-50 without the full range in market,” he said.

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