A Furore Over Fenders Before Tasman Even Launches

Because of all the video teasers for the Kia Tasman, people have had a chance to assess styling for themselves. Some have taken objection to the wheel arch cladding design.

Now Kia Australia says it will offer an alternative for Tasman customers who want it.

It’s rather an extraordinary situation given the production version of the Tasman ute has yet to launch officially. That’s happening in a few days’ time at the Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia. 

We asked Kia NZ’s MD, Todd McDonald, about this storm in a teacup and he said “Let’s wait and see what it looks like first”. He also said that Kia New Zealand embraces the new styling direction the firm is taking and is confident the ute will measure up just like recent offerings. 

Meantime, Kia Australia’s CEO, Damien Meredith, has already promised that an accessory fender flare will be available at launch. 

The fender flare option will extend all the way around the wheel arch rather than just a strip at the top, and can be had in body colour or black.

The Tasman ute is set to debut in Hobart, Tasmania (the obvious choice) at the same time it disrobes in the Middle East on October 29. It is due to go on sale both sides of the Tasman in the first half of 2025, or possibly early in the second half.

The Ranger and Hilux rival has been teased to the nth degree in disguise while testing in various global locations. Evidently the horizontal fender flare is polarising. Kia has responded to criticism, offering a solution for naysayers, even before people set eyes on the vehicle.

Initially the Tasman will most likely launch with a version of Kia’s 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine. It will be available as a double-cab ute with AWD. However the range will no doubt eventually include a single-cab, cab-chassis and 4×2 versions.

Meredith felt confident the Tasman will be well accepted in Australia. Across the ditch Kia hopes to sell 20,000 Tasmans per annum, which should propel overall annual sales toward or above the 100,000 mark. That would make Kia the second-most popular brand on the market behind Toyota.

Meredith told Carsales “We asked for a light commercial vehicle in March 2018, so six years later they have come to market with this amazing product.”

He added that it looks impressive in preproduction form, and said it had passed all the pressure testing (heat, cold, on and off-road) with “flying colours”.  

He also said that “It ticks all the boxes that are required for the tradie, for agriculture and for lifestyle.”

New Zealand Autocar is covering the international launch so look out for a report next week.