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2026 Kia Tasman Truck Spotted Off-Road in the U.S.: Will It Come to America?

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Written by Paul Strauss | July 30, 2024
2026 Kia Tasman Truck Spotted Off-Road in the U.S.: Will It Come to America?

To date, Kia hasn’t put a pickup truck into production, but that’s about to change with the upcoming release of the 2026 Kia Tasman. Taking aim at mid-size pickups like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, a colorfully camouflaged Tasman was spotted showing its off-road capabilities in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

The boxy truck is built to handle rugged terrain, and Kia isn’t afraid to show it being thrashed about. The video below includes footage of the Tasman kicking up thick clouds of dirt, climbing steep hills, and negotiating rocky and uneven trails. It’s clear from the video that it has a 4-wheel drivetrain and a 2-speed transfer case because of the mention of switching into 4-low. The pickup also has a body-on-frame construction, which means Kia isn’t kidding around with some modified unibody SUV here.

The truck will arrive initially in South Korea, Australia, and then Africa. Despite the U.S.-based test location, there’s no official word if the Tasman will be sold in America at some point. No specs have been revealed yet, but the first trucks are expected to be powered by a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, like the one that Kia uses in the Sorento in other markets. If the Tasman does come to America later, it’s likely to have a gas engine here.

For more on the Kia Tasman, keep an eye on the Kia International website, where they will be gradually revealing more testing footage, including wading, towing, trail riding, and more. Also, here’s an up-close look at a static Tasman prototype from CarSauce.

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