Korean vehicle manufacturer Kia has lifted the veil on its long-awaited one-ton bakkie, the Tasman.

The vehicle, the first of its kind for Kia, had its global premiere at Jeddah International Motor Show, in Saudi Arabia, in October.

The range includes the Baseline, X-Line, and X-Pro double-cab models.

The X-Pro provides better off-road performance thanks to its 28-mm-higher ground clearance, at a total of 252 mm.

“Kia’s first-ever pickup truck was created from the ground up to transform the market and respond to the growing preference for lifestyle-oriented trucks with advanced features,” says Kia president and CEO Ho Sung Song.

Customisation is central to the Tasman’s appeal.

The bakkie will be offered with four bed accessory configurations – single-decker, double-decker, sports roll bar and ladder rack.

In addition, there will be 13 accessory products available, including two types of side steps and beadlock-style wheels.

The Tasman single-decker features a canopy and butterfly doors, as well as a roof rack for a rooftop tent.

The double-decker features a trunk equipped with butterfly doors and a sliding tonneau cover, offering customisable cargo space.

The sports roll bar variant comes with a frame for mounting outdoor lifestyle items.

The ladder rack variant features a ladder- type rack that is also compatible with rooftop tents.

Based upon a body-on-frame platform, the Tasman will be offered in Korea with a 207 kW, 2.5-litre petrol engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

In the Australian market, the pickup will feature a 154 kW, 2.2-litre diesel engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

In the Middle East and Africa, customers will be able to choose between the 2.5-litre petrol engine equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 2.2-litre diesel engine, with a choice of an eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission, depending on market.

Kia says the Tasman has undergone 1 777 tests conducted over more than 18 000 rounds of evaluation.

These tests took place across a range of environments and covered anything from off-road ability to wading, all-terrain durability to towing, and on-track performance to riding and handling.

The Tasman will launch in the Korean market during the first half of next year, before being introduced in Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

“The all-new Kia Tasman presents an exciting new opportunity for Kia globally, and indeed in South Africa,” says Kia South Africa CEO Paul Turnbull.

“We are hard at work to make the Tasman’s local introduction a reality, and based on current planning, we aim to do this in the second half of 2025.”