Kia Knows Its First Truck Looks Weird

Pickups are not necessarily supposed to be pretty, but it sure helps if they’re not too weird. Kia is aware its long-awaited first foray into the truck segment is a bit unconventional in design. However, it promises a “fix” for those who think the standard Tasman looks overly funky. Specifically, those odd wheel arches will look more normal with an official body part that has already been designed.

Speaking with Carsales magazine, Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith didn’t hide his enthusiasm about how the Ford Ranger rival will get a less quirky profile: “It’s very good news. I can assure you that accessory [fender flare] will be there at launch.” What I like to call the “Tom Selleck mustache” will be optionally swapped out in favor of extended fender flares surrounding the entire wheel arch.

That should make the Tasman look less polarizing and more rugged after installing the extra cladding. Alternatively, customers will be able to order the workhorse with the standard fenders color-coordinated with the rest of the body. We can imagine the body-colored piece won’t stand out as much as the unpainted panel does.

Kia teased the production-ready Tasman last week in shadowy images without this colorful camouflage. We’re days away from the world premiere as the pickup will break cover on October 29 at the 2024 Jeddah International Motor Show. Initially, we’ll likely only see the double cab but a single cab is purportedly planned, along with a barebones chassis cab.

We wouldn’t necessarily count on a US visa for the Tasman since it would end up here with a lofty price tag given the 25% Chicken Tax. Kia’s inaugural truck will be made in South Korea and is going to mainly target Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. There are better shots of seeing the already confirmed electric pickup in North America. However, it would have to be made at the factory in Georgia to dodge the Chicken Tax.

Although we keep saying the Tasman is Kia’s first truck, that’s technically not true. The Bongo is a cabover truck the company has been selling in South Korea since 1980. The fourth-gen model launched in 2005 recently went through an update, so it’s sticking around for at least a few more years. The Tasman will be the firm’s first pickup with a more global presence.