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Kia has given its new dual-cab ute an off-road makeover, with wider body-coloured wheel-arch flares – and a tweaked front-end apperance.
Kia has revealed a concept hinting at a fighter for the Ford Ranger Raptor based on its new – and controversial – Tasman ute.
The Kia Tasman Weekender concept revealed at the Seoul motor show is an off-road-ready version of the new ute, with wild body enhancements intended to give it a more rugged look.
There appear to be no plans to build the Tasman Weekender, which is in the same vein as earlier off-road Kia concepts, including one recently revealed based on the PV5 electric van.
Kia has previously expressed its interest in a flagship Tasman to compete with the Ranger Raptor, Nissan Navara Warrior and others, but it has all but ruled out V6 power due to upcoming emissions rules.
The Tasman Weekender is the first overseas showing of a Tasman with body-coloured wheel-arch flares, which are destined for showrooms in a narrower, less aggressive form than the examples fitted to the concept.
Upgrades include new wheels with BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres, a new bonnet, green accents around the body – including the tow hooks – extra enclosed storage space behind the cabin, and a roof rack with mounted skis.
The front and rear bumpers are new, the former slimming the front grille amid criticism of the standard model’s styling.
Rock sliders, tie-down rails on the tray, and a beige over black colour scheme also feature on the concept.
There is no word on what powers the concept, but it is likely to use the regular Tasman’s 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine with 154kW and 440Nm.
Kia has not indicated if it will build the Tasman Weekender, but it is understood to be just a design study.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
