Kia’s new pickup truck, the Tasman, has quickly gained traction in South Korea, generating excitement for a possible turnaround in the shrinking pickup truck market. The company reported selling over 4,000 Tasman units within the first month of its launch.
According to company officials, the Tasman, which was released on February 13th, reached this sales milestone in just 17 days. This represents almost 30% of all pickup trucks sold in South Korea for 2024, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The South Korean pickup truck market has seen a decline in recent years, with sales decreasing from 42,619 units in 2019 to 17,455 units in 2023. Market analysts believe that the Tasman’s entry could stimulate demand.
Before the Tasman’s introduction, only four pickup truck models were available in the South Korean market. Two of these came from KG Mobility, and the remaining two from GM Korea.
The Tasman, which made its global debut at the 2024 Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia, features an all-wheel-drive system and is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, generating 281 horsepower. It also boasts an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In other news, Kia’s overall sales for February rose 4.5% year-on-year, reaching 253,850 units. This growth was fueled by strong demand, both domestically and internationally. The Sportage SUV was the brand’s top seller, followed by the Sorento and Seltos models.
Kia officials have stated that they intend to keep the momentum going with future model launches, including the EV4 electric vehicle, as well as further expanding the Tasman pickup’s availability.
