SEOUL: Kia has announced impressive sales figures for its new Tasman pickup truck, selling over 4,000 units within the first month of its release. The vehicle, Kia’s first foray into the pickup truck market, launched on February 13th. This achievement highlights a strong start for the Tasman and a potential boost for the local pickup truck segment.
According to company officials, the 4,000-unit figure represents nearly 30 percent of all pickup trucks sold in South Korea during the whole of the prior year. In 2024, the five major carmakers in the country—Hyundai Motor Co., Kia, GM Korea Co., Renault Korea Motors Co., and KG Mobility Corp. (KGM)—sold a combined 13,475 pickup trucks, according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA). The figures reveal a decline in pickup truck sales in recent years.
Market analysts suggest that the limited range of models from the major automakers contributed to declining demand. Before the Tasman’s release, only four pickup truck models were available, with two from KGM and two from GM Korea.
The all-wheel-drive Tasman boasts a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, producing 281 horsepower, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The new pickup was first introduced at the 2024 Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia.
Kia’s overall sales for February experienced a 4.5 percent year-over-year increase, driven by a rise in both domestic and international demand. Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., sold a total of 253,850 vehicles last month, up from 242,917 units in the same period last year. Within this, domestic sales increased by 4.5 percent to 46,003 units, while overseas sales showed a gain of 4.4 percent, reaching 207,462 units.
The Sportage SUV was the bestselling model in both domestic and international markets, with sales of 46,287 units. The Sorento and Seltos followed, selling 24,173 and 24,040 units, respectively.
A Kia official stated that the company aims to sustain this sales momentum with launches of new models, including the EV4 electric vehicle and the Tasman pickup truck, in the future.
