Kia Tasman X Pro

Overview

IT seems like an eternity since Hyundai-Kia promised a ute and now that the giant South Korean car-maker has delivered - via Kia’s name - it appears to need a bit more time in the oven.

Not because the Tasman isn’t competitive, because it most certainly is and the price is about right, too.

But other areas could do with a tweak including some tech issues, power and torque and of course, its appearance.

The Tasman range starts at $38,130 for the 2WD single cab-chassis, $45,130 for the 4WD cab-chassis with the dual-cab ute models opening at $50,380 and up to $74,990 for the top-spec X-Pro tested here (prices exclude on road costs).

It’s the one that like-by-like buyers will shop against Ford’s Ranger Tremor V6 ($75.090), GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid ($64,990), Nissan Navara Pro-4X ($68,418), and Toyota Hilux Rugged ($71,990) all plus on-road costs.

The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel is from the Hyundai-Kia wardrobe and is a faithful servant in the Santa Fe, Carnival, Sorento and Palisade.

In the Tasman it has 154kW at 3800rpm and torque of 440Nm at 1750-2750rpm but it would be nice to see the offer of the group’s 204kW/588Nm 3.0-litre inline-six turbo-diesel as offered in the Genesis.

The Tasman has a five-star ANCAP rating for most variants, but the X-Pro (and the second top, the X-Line) don’t have this rating because these two have a different front bumper.

That aside, the X-Pro gets a heap of solid safety equipment, starting with the autonomous emergency braking system, blind-spot monitor and collision-avoidance system, rear cross-traffic avoidance and monitor, highway drive assist (semi-autonomous lane-change system) lane-keeping and lane-follow assist, 360-degree camera, two top-tether and two Isofix baby-seat anchors, auto door lock, and seven airbags.

The spare wheel is full sized.

Keeping it in the Hyundai-Kia family, there’s also a speed warning (a noisy four beeps when you’re 1km/h over the posted limit) system as mentioned in my K4 review.

Likewise, it can be turned off but unfortunately, it has to be turned off every time the car is restarted. Better than the constant beeping, though.

Kia has a seven-year or unlimited distance warranty and up to eight years of roadside assistance as long as the vehicle is serviced at a Kia dealership. This also applies to the roadside assistance program which can be extended up to eight years if you are loyal to the Kia dealership for servicing.

There is the capped-price service program and the option of a pre-paid program, each for up to seven years.

Pay-as-you-go will cost $1399 for three years and $1371 if prepaid. For five years it is $2928 and $2834 respectively, and for seven years, $4093 and $3929.

The X-Pro costs a little bit more than the other Tasman variants. Overall, service prices are a bit more expensive than the Ford Ranger, and cheaper than the Hilux which needs twice-yearly services.

The Tasman has a 12-month, 15,000km interval equating to $3877 for a total seven year, averaging $553 a year but weighted to up to around $700 each for the last two years. That’s not especially cheap for a “small” four-cylinder vehicle.

But Tasman does a lot of things as good as the best, some better and that’s the surprise - Kia launched this straight onto the market and it’s straight up a winner.

Driving impressions:

The Tasman follows that old chestnut of a rigid ladder frame sprung at the rear by leaf springs and powered by a diesel engine. It’s a four-decade old philosophy that has created cookie-cutter examples from nearly every car-maker with the sheet metal being about the only differential.

Kia doesn’t deviate from the basic ingredients, sharing basic tech with the Mohave (also known as Borrego) V6-powered seven-seat SUV that ended its global run in 2021.

But it has elevated the chassis and drivetrain technology to now become a stand-alone model with aspirations of an SUV variant within a few years. With this new base, the Tasman lures that latest cabin features from its other models, hence the ute has a lot of SUV appeal.

Inside, the cabin is open with an accent on space and uncluttered access, sprinkled with the appearance of heavy-duty components and a dash of military pragmatism. Think Jeep Wrangler meets Suzuki Jimny.

The simplicity of the cabin is welcome, as is its usability and sense of strength. The knurled tips of the metal door handles, for example, along with the flat-faced dash, flat floor and exposed bolts. It looks tough and, in function, feels durable which goes a long way to appeasing its primary buyer market.

The X-Pro version is the most expensive and gets all the fruit including leather-look upholstery and 10-way electric front seats with heating and ventilation.

A word about the seats - you’d be battling to find another ute at this price that is as comfortable. If you’re in the car for a long time, this may be a good pick.

There’s excellent leg and headroom with three 1.8m occupants comfortable in the rear and, for families, enough room for two baby seats (two of tether or Isofix) and a third child in the middle.

Clipping in tether baby seats is no fun in any ute and the Kia doesn’t disappoint, although there is good access behind the seat back to clip into the anchor. Clearly, the Isofix is easier.

That rear seat back also reclines (the base slides) with additional (and secure) storage spaces under the base. On top of that, the X-Pro version has a heated rear seat.

There’s good personal storage spaces in the big centre bin, the lidded top and the two “gloveboxes” in the dash. The adoption of Hyunda-Kia’s right-hand gearshift lever - on the two X variants - removes the centre console-mounted auto shift lever used in the lower-tier versions, offering more space for mobile phones and keys.

In stark contrast to the ‘military’ look of the dashboard and trim, the Tasman on the road is surprisingly quiet and smooth, with compliant suspension giving an SUV-level of ride comfort.

It also feels solid with a confident feel on the road that isn’t typical of a commercial vehicle.

Kia Australia ensured the Tasman had suspension tuned for Australia and for our more aggressive style of driving - not as in feral, but drivers more demanding and with a higher expectation than those in some markets - and delivered with a ute that steers well through bitumen bends and reacts dismissively to most road imperfections.

Even when travelling over poor surfaces, the ute shrugs off the bumps transmitting relatively little noise or bump harshness. That’s pretty good for a ute, but really good for a leaf-sprung rear end.

Engine performance is on par with many utes and is sufficient for general touring and urban operation. But it just feels like more should be available.

With a modest weight (about 200kg) in the tray, the ute performs well but there’s a sense that if it gets closer to its 1000kg-plus payload the performance is going to slide away.

Worse, buyers wanting to tow something around the Kia’s 3500kg rating – a caravan or boat or machinery on a trailer - could really give the performance a hit more so than some bigger engined rivals.

Aside from being a little bit wanting in terms of engine output, the 2.2 is a great unit that’s smooth and quiet and relatively fuel efficient. It returned 9.2 litres per 100km on test, a bit shy of Kia’s average claim of 8.1 L/100km, although it will return mid-7s when cruising the highway.

It has an 80-litre tank so has a theoretical range of clear to 1000km, which compared with its peers, is pretty good.

The eight-speed auto is a gem and probably does more for driver enjoyment than the engine.

There’s a spread of gears that suit the diesel’s torque, without needing to ‘hunt’ for a suitable cog – an annoyance that sometimes appears in Ford’s 10-speed Ranger.

The box also has four modes – 2WD High (bitumen); 4WD High (gravel/firm sand); 4WD Low (soft stuff); and an all-embracing 4WD ‘Auto’ (4A) that covers all sins.

Turn the Tasman to the dirt – ensuring there’s enough room because the 12.5m turning circle is a pain – and the drivetrain combo and suspension compliance really stand out for their flexibility and occupant comfort.

The X-Pro – particularly – will go pretty much anywhere thanks to low gearing, a high 252mm ground clearance (up 48mm on the lower-spec Tasmans), selectable rear diff lock and a drive mode called X-Trek.

This mode, controlled by a centre-console button, accesses programs tuned for sand, mud, snow, rock and ‘auto’ along with the ‘creep’ function that automatically sets the engine to walk the ute up and down obstacles.

The ute was practically unstoppable on test, although the driver has to be aware that the 3270mm wheelbase (same as Ranger) can cause contact with the chassis when ascending high ground.    

Above everything, the competence of the Tasman in the dirt (mainly sand and limestone tracks on test) came with excellent occupant comfort.

If I wanted more, I’d like more power to give it some extra on-road pep and more flexible towing ability. As for the rest, it’s comfort levels are right up there with SUVs, as is the driving experience and driver control, the feature list is top-notch Kia grade with nothing missing, and it’s a delightful cruiser and even suburban crawler, save for the unfriendly parking bay dimensions and turning circle.

If you’re thinking about a new ute but think the Kia isn’t pretty, have a look from the driver's seat. It’s a completely different aspect.