The highly-anticipated Kia Tasman Ute has been caught on camera for the first time in Australia – and the interior has been laid bare for the first time globally.
A short video has appeared on social media overnight – and EFTM has grabbed these screenshots before the video is taken down.
It appears the vehicle is in a secure car park of an industrial area somewhere in metropolitan Sydney (NSW number plates can been seen on cars parked nearby).
The vehicle’s paintwork is covered in a bright camouflage wrap – and then the body has additional sections of large fabric camouflage to keep the public guessing.
But its secrets are soon laid bare.
A tradie in a high-vis vest has somehow secured exclusive access inside the vehicle and lifted up the interior disguise – designed to cover the dash design during testing on public roads – after a colleague unlocked the door.
Perhaps not realising they are risking their jobs by exposing Kia’s top secret new model – or understanding just how sensitive this leak is to Kia globally – the person taking the video gives a running commentary about what he can see.
Both men can be seen in the reflections of the glass at various times during the video but we have elected not to identify them.
The video shows the vehicle is a left-hand-drive model.
It is believed to be a hand-built sample car off close-to-final-production tooling.
Translation: the design is unlikely to change much from what we see here, bar a few minor tweaks.
Here is what we spotted in the video:
- The bold “sausage-style” horizontal over-fender flares appear to be either an elaborate disguise or the real deal, we’re still unsure;
- The interior has two massive 12.3-inch screens (one for the instrument cluster and one for the infotainment system) to create the perception of a massive widescreen display across more than half the dash;
- The Kia Tasman ute interior appears to be heavily influenced by the cabin of the Kia EV9 electric SUV, with a bold industrial-style design;
- The Kia Tasman appears to have the same drive selector wand as the Kia EV9 (and other new Kia cars);
- The footage also showed heated seats, an electric park brake, a large sunroof over the front two seats, large cup holders, large door pockets, and what appeared to be heavy duty interior door handles;
- A Tasman display plate resting on the back seat, perhaps for dealer previews;
- The footage also shows just how big the Kia Tasman is. It appears to be larger than a Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger but smaller than a Ford F-150 – giving the Kia Tasman a size advantage versus its rivals.
The Kia Tasman ute is due on sale in Australia in mid 2025 pending any unforeseen delays.
It is called the Tasman as a nod to Australia’s involvement in the vehicle.
As previously reported, the Kia Tasman is expected to be powered by a 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine, have a 3.5-tonne towing capacity and up to a 1-tonne payload.
For everything else we know about the Kia Tasman so far, please click here.
