KIA TASMAN

Diversifying Korean firm offers Aussie pick-up drivers 'new dog, old tricks'

- MARK TISSHAW

Forbidden fruit in the car industry comes in all shapes and sizes. The latest is the Kia Tasman, the brand's first-ever pick-up truck. While it would be easy to ignore such a development, given that the Tasman is denied not only to Brits but also Europeans and Americans, it is significant in showing how Kia is continuing to develop and enter new markets and model segments.

In short, Kia is a brand willing and able to try new things and the Tasman is a fantastic bit of design. If you look around at the Tasman's rivals (Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara), you would think there wasn’t much one could do to make a pick-up visually interesting before you start getting to performance versions like the Ranger Raptor. Yet the Tasman is one your eyes are drawn to. It looks like it means business.

Kia has packed the spec sheet too: it claims true go-anywhere ability and best-in-class strength from an all-new body-on-frame platform. There's double-wishbone front suspension, high-mounted to better protect from corrosion and offer improved ground clearance. At the rear isa rigid axle with leaf springs.