Why the Kia Tasman bakkie will likely hit SA only in 2026

The Kia Tasman bakkie looks set to arrive in South Africa only in 2026, rather than in the 2nd half of 2025 as originally planned. Here’s why Mzansi must wait…

• Tasman’s arrival in SA likely pushed into 2026
  
• Local distributor is “still negotiating pricing”
  
• New bakkie powered by 2.2-litre turbodiesel

Waiting patiently for the Kia Tasman bakkie to wade into South Africa’s 1-tonne segment? Well, you’ll likely have to sit tight for a little longer as the local arrival of this distinctively styled newcomer appears to have been pushed into 2026.

As a reminder, when the Tasman was revealed back in October 2024, Paul Turnbull, Kia South Africa’s CEO, described the ladder-frame bakkie as an “exciting new opportunity” for the brand, adding that the local distributor aimed to launch it – based on “current planning” – in the 2nd half of 2025.

However, we recently came across some information that suggested the Korean-built Tasman – which is the automaker’s first take on a traditional bakkie – would instead hit the market in Mzansi only towards the middle of 2026. So, we asked Kia South Africa for clarity on the matter.

• ALSO READ: Why the Kia Tasman looks so different

The South Korean brand’s local distributor confirmed to Cars.co.za that the Tasman launch “will more than likely be next year” (i.e., 2026), adding that “we are still negotiating pricing [with Kia’s head office in Seoul] and want to ensure that we land it at a good price point”.

Of course, pricing is of particular importance in SA’s cut-throat bakkie market, where locally built models such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max dominate the sales charts. In fact, several imported bakkies have struggled in recent times; for instance, sales of the new Mitsubishi Triton have stuttered despite its move into a new generation, while Mazda even opted to pull its BT-50 from the market in early 2024.

• ALSO READ: Kia Tasman – likely price positioning in SA

For the record, the Tasman launched in Kia’s domestic market of South Korea in February 2025, while Australia and New Zealand officially welcomed the fresh-faced bakkie – which is, of course, named after Tasmania, the island at the southernmost tip of Australia – in July 2025. The roll-out of the new model has also commenced in the Middle East (in countries like Saudi Arabia).

Though Kia builds both single- and double-cab versions of the Tasman at its Hwasung factory in South Korea, we expect the brand’s local division to concentrate on the latter body style (at first, anyway), with a particular focus on the leisure-bakkie segment.

Built on what Kia describes as a “fully optimised” body-on-frame platform, the Tasman looks set to be offered in South Africa with a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine delivering 154 kW and 441 Nm (likely via an 8-speed automatic transmission, though a 6-speed manual gearbox is also available in some markets). Certain countries also receive a 2.5-litre turbopetrol motor generating 207 kW and 421 Nm.

The double-cab version of the Tasman measures 5 410 mm from front to back, making it some 60 mm longer than a Ford Ranger double cab. The load bed measures 1 512 mm long and 1 572 mm wide, which Kia claims provides “best-in-class cargo capability of 1 173 litres”. The new bakkie’s maximum payload is listed as 1 195 kg (though this will obviously vary by derivative), while the braked towing capacity comes in at 3 500 kg.

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