Yahoo Autos Kia Tasman Shown Rolling Around in the Dirt in New Video
Kia released a new video in a series that showcases the upcoming Tasman pickup's arduous testing regiment.
The video shows the Tasman testing off-road in the rocky terrain of Alabama Hills, California.
While we still don't know if the Tasman will be sold in the United States, the official video of the truck testing in California raises our hopes.
It's been a few months since we've seen or heard anything about the Kia Tasman pickup, but things are shaking up with Kia releasing a new video demonstrating the Tasman's aptitude for off-roading. In the video, the Tasman is seen testing off-road in the sandy and rocky terrain of Alabama Hills, California.
The video shows the Tasman wearing the same colorful livery we've seen it in since April. Despite the wrap, the Tasman is clearly equipped with a set of all-terrain tires in the video and is shown climbing a 40 percent grade hill. We can also clearly hear an engineer calling for the driver to switch to four-low when preparing for a technical descent—confirming the body-on-frame pickup will feature an all-wheel drive setup.
Equipment details beyond what we can spot in the video are scarce, but the Tasman may end up sharing its powertrain with the Telluride SUV. That car features a naturally aspirated V-6 producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque.
While Kia has confirmed that the Tasman will be initially launched in Korea, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East, the question remains if the brand will choose to sell the pickup in North America. The deciding factor is likely where the brand ends up producing the vehicle, which would impact the tariff levied on the truck. Given our seemingly endless demand for pickup trucks in the United States, we think it's likely Kia will bring the mid-size pickup here—even if it does take a few years.
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