Kia Tasman Pickup Truck Surpasses 4,000 Units Sold in First Month
Seoul: Kia, South Korea’s second-largest automaker, announced on Sunday that it has sold over 4,000 units of its inaugural pickup truck, the Kia Tasman, in less than a month since its launch. This strong performance is generating positive expectations for the revitalization of the local pickup truck market.
The Tasman’s sales figures for February, achieved within just 17 days of its release on February 13th, represent nearly 30 percent of all pickup truck sales in South Korea during the entire year of 2024, according to company officials, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In 2024, the combined sales of pickup trucks by five major automakers—Hyundai Motor Co., Kia, GM Korea Co., Renault Korea Motors Co., and KG Mobility Corp. (KGM)—totaled 13,475 units, data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) indicates. This figure reflects a consistent decline from previous years, with 42,619 units sold in 2019, dropping to 38,117 in 2020, 29,567 in 2021, 28,753 in 2022, and 17,455 in 2023.
Market analysts suggest that the previous decline in domestic pickup truck demand was due to the limited range of models available. Before the Tasman’s release, only four pickup truck models were available in South Korea, with two from KGM and two from GM Korea. Now the Kia Tasman is expected to boost consumer sentiment.
The Kia Tasman made its initial debut at the 2024 Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia.
The all-wheel-drive Tasman is equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, delivering 281 horsepower, and an eight-speed automatic transmission, according to the company.
Furthermore, Kia’s overall monthly sales for February saw a 4.5 percent increase year-over-year. The company experienced gains in demand both domestically and internationally. Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., sold 253,850 vehicles last month, up from 242,917 units in February of the previous year. Domestic sales grew by 4.5 percent to 46,003 units, while overseas sales rose by 4.4 percent to 207,462 units.
By vehicle model, the Sportage sport utility vehicle (SUV) was the top-selling model in both domestic and overseas markets, with sales of 46,287 units. The Sorento and Seltos followed, with 24,173 and 24,040 units sold, respectively.
A Kia official expressed the company’s plan to maintain its sales momentum with launches of competitive new models, including the EV4 electric vehicle (EV) and the Tasman pickup truck, in the future.
