For the last few weeks, Kia has been hyping up its first true entry in the midsize pickup market. It won’t be long before the Tasman pickup makes its official debut, and it’s set to go head to head with the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, and the popular Toyota Hilux.
It will be a fierce battle, for sure, and expectations are riding high on the Tasman. But given that it Kia made an all-new ladder frame chassis for it, it might make sense to build an SUV version, right?
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As it turns out, the folks from Kia Australia have the same thought, too. Per Australian motoring site Carsguide, Kia recently told the press its intent to build a a Tasman-based SUV. The South Korean automaker even has a rival in mind, the Ford Everest.
Roland Rivero, General Manager of Product Planning at Kia Australia, said the company will be ‘negotiating hard’ to get the green light for its production. It won’t happen immediately, though, as Rivero stated that they need to build a strong global case and not just for Australia.
With the discontinuation of the long-running Mohave, Kia will be left without a ladder frame SUV in its lineup. Its production line will be used to build the Tasman, which should improve its chances for a business case.
The product planner admits it will be an uphill battle in convincing Kia’s board at its headquarters. “What we need for it to happen is other markets, major markets that source Tasman, to also want to have a ladder frame SUV. We're hoping that South Africa or the Middle East would be keen on it, but at the end of the day we need all of the stars to align for something like to happen,” said Rivero.
Aside from South Africa and the Middle East, Kia might have to do a case study for Southeast Asia as well. It’s not just the Philippines that’s in love with pickup-based SUVs. Thailand is practically home to them, and these kinds of SUVs perform well in neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Nonetheless, it will be a gamble for Kia should it plan to enter the midsize SUV market. With established players from Japan (Fortuner, Montero Sport) and the Ford Everest, the SUV has its work cut out for it. Also, for that plan to move forward, the Tasman itself has to prove successful in its core markets.
