Design changes already mooted along with fleet customers for Kia's first bakkie in Australia.
The Kia Tasman’s styling is not everyone’s cup of tea. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
Kia is confident that its first venture into the bakkie segment, the Tasman, is on the right track despite slow sales since its local introduction.
Since its launch in April, the Kia Tasman has not managed to meet the monthly sales target of 100. The Korean manufacturer sold less than 60 units in June and July, less than the 73 it sold in April alone.
“We are not giving up. We saw that the sales where slow when it launched in Australia, but it is climbing and getting a following,” says Paul Turnbull, CEO of Kia South Africa.
“We’ll do the same here and keep on plugging away at it. Our target is still to get to a 100 a month.”
Kia Tasman changes mooted
HG Kim, president of Kia Middle East & Africa, says that they rely on input from the Australian market going forward. The Tasman’s polarising front styling, something that is meant to set it apart from other bakkies, has been heavily scrutinised and could be redesigned as a result.
“We are changing the front design along with customer input in Australia. We will roll that out for fleet customers, which will be followed by a completely new design,” says Kim.
“Customers are very loyal to the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. We want to know how we can catch up to the big players. That is why we have some plan to support and design something for the fleet customers.”
Pricing for the Kia Tasman starts at R679 995 for the LX. It goes up to R1 004 999 for the X Pro 4×4.
The range is powered by one engine derivative, a 2.2-litre turbodiesel mill, a stalwart of Kia and sister company Hyundai. The mill produces 154kW of power and 440Nm of torque and is mated to eight-speed automatic transmission.
