2025 Kia Tasman ute teaser campaign launched - carsales.com.au (2024)

Kia has today launched a massive media campaign involving a huge cast of Australia’s sporting legends in the lead-up to the unveiling of the all-new 2025 Kia Tasman ute in the coming months ahead of its Aussie launch early next year.

While the company has now confirmed its long-awaited entry into one of the biggest-selling market segments in Australia, and opened its website up for interested buyers to lodge expressions of interest, the Korean car-maker has stopped short of announcing the Tasman name.

Instead, the big-budget new commercial – which features “arguably the biggest cast of famous faces” ever brought together for an Aussie TVC – has the cast members speculating, and taking bets on, the name of the ute – in an Outback pub that has its name partially obscured: Hotel Tas…

“Kia Australia has always been very candid about our desire to bring a light commercial vehicle to the local market, so it is with great excitement that we are taking an important step towards it becoming a reality,” said Kia Australia chief executive Damien Meredith.

“We are now officially taking expressions of interest on the Kia Australia website, for both private and fleet customers, and we invite all ute-loving Australians to sign up and join us on the journey.”

As carsales has reported, the Tasman range will comprise double-cab, single-cab and cab-chassis body styles, 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains with manual and automatic transmissions – all powered a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine derived from the Kia Sorento large SUV.

The ute’s development is being led by Kia Australia – hence the local nameplate – which should see it take the fight up to the top-selling Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-MAX, the three biggest-selling vehicles across all segments last year (in that order).

A circa-1000kg payload capacity, 3500kg braked towing capacity and five-star ANCAP safety rating are all key metrics for the project, which has already seen the Tasman cover tens of thousands of development kilometres Down Under.

The familiar ute recipe of a ladder-frame chassis, independent front suspension and a leaf-sprung rear-end have already been locked in, while a locking rear differential, low-range gearing and an 800mm wading depth are all par for the course.

Also count on a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty.

There’s been no indication yet as to pricing, but odds are Kia will position its new ute competitively.

A Ranger Raptor-baiting GT variant is also under study, along with an Everest-conquering SUV version.

Kia Australia’s marketing chief Dean Norbiato said the inspiration for the opening TVC came from “the time-honoured Aussie tradition of everyone having a nickname”.

“We were looking for a unique and quintessentially Aussie way to launch Kia’s most Australian product ever – our ute – and what better way than to bring together our country’s most iconic themes: sporting heroes, nicknames and an old-fashioned Aussie watering hole,” he said.

The legendary cast, listed below in alphabetical order, boasts between them: 29 Premierships, four Paralympic gold medals, four World Championships, 26 Grand Slams, 1 Golden Slam, three Melbourne Cups, six sporting captains, two Australians of the Year, two Young Australians of the Year and nine Hall of Fame entrants.

Adam Reynolds – Brisbane Broncos Club Captain and premiership winner
Alexander Volkanovski – UFC legend and former featherweight champion
Alfie Langer – Rugby league legend and four-time premiership winner
Ash Barty – Former world number one and Grand Slam winning tennis champion
Brianna Clark – Brisbane Broncos NRLW star
Buddy Franklin – Australian rules legend who kicked more than 1,000 goals during his career
Damien Oliver – Three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey
Darren Lockyer – Former rugby league player and Australian captain
David Boon – Former Australian cricket legend
Dermott Brereton – Five-time premiership winner and former Australian rules footballer
Dylan Alcott – Australia’s most successful wheelchair tennis player
Jessica Watson – Sailor and OAM recipient
John Aloisi – Former professional soccer player and current coach of Western United
Kerry O'Keeffe – Former Australian cricketer and dad joke specialist
MacKenzie Arnold – Current Matildas goalkeeper
Mark Occhilupo – Former Australian professional surfer and world title winner
Patrick Carrigan – Brisbane Broncos and Australian rugby league player
Wendell Sailor – Former dual International: Rugby League / Rugby Union
Scott Sattler – Former NRL player and cover tackle specialist
Steve Waugh – Former Australian cricket captain and AO recipient

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