When the Kia Tasman was unveiled in SA, its exterior design sparked a fresh round of debate. Here’s why it looks the way it does.
When Kia first showed off the Tasman at the 2024 Jeddah Motor Show, the brand’s first pickup caused a stir. And while it’s not often a legacy automaker breaks into the crowded pickup market, the biggest talking point—both globally and locally—was the Tasman’s exterior design. Now, with the Tasman’s April 2026 launch in South Africa, the look has once again become a hot topic. So, why does the Tasman look like this?
Well, as CAR Deputy Editor Gareth Dean highlighted in our initial look at the Kia Tasman in SA, the Tasman shares a development programme with several military vehicles developed by Kia’s Special Vehicle department. But first, a bit of history…
If you weren’t aware, Kia was designated South Korea’s defence industry firm in 1973, and for more than two decades the automaker has been developing vehicles for the South Korean military. However, in 2010, Kia’s Special Vehicle division, an entity separate from its passenger-vehicle business, began producing light tactical and midsize variants, some of which are based on body-on-frame chassis.
So, while vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and the Jeep Wrangler were spun off from military roots, the Tasman was developed in parallel with South Korea’s military. If you check Kia Special Vehicles’ website, you’ll find an array of Tasman models made for military use. These include a troop-transport version, a mobile command post variant, a hospital variant, and a patrol derivative with a machine gun mounted at the back.
In addition, the Tasman’s styling broadly nods to the company’s legacy of rugged, reliable, combat-focused vehicles.
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