Australia’s love affair with the ute is about to get even stronger.
Kia is making ready to launch a brand new dual-cab ute in 2025 and the workhorse may have a powerful Aussie flavour.
Rumoured to be known as Tasman, Kia’s first ute shall be developed with robust enter from Australia.
Kia Australia’s head of product planning Roland Rivero says the native group may have a say on each side of the brand new ute.
”It’s a special sport to each different product that has come to market in Australia versus this product,” he says.
The model has been shopping for competitor autos and tearing them aside and taking a look at each final element to verify it may well lower the mustard.
“We’ve non-negotiables which were emphasised and communicated to analysis and improvement,’ says Rivero.
“They embody a 5 star ANCAP, they embody three and half tonne towing and so they embody better than a tonne payload. Analysis and improvement are very a lot conscious of those and we’re working in the direction of that.”
The ute is more likely to launch with a four-cylinder turbodiesel underneath the bonnet, which matches the amount promoting variations of the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
“I believe you’ll discover the mixture of the 63,000 Rangers and 61,000 HiLuxes offered final yr there’s nonetheless an enormous variety of 4 cylinders. 4-cylinders diesel nonetheless occupy the better bulk by a good distance,” says Rivero.
At the moment Kia makes use of a 2.2-litre turbodiesel within the Sorento giant SUV that makes 148kW and 440Nm.
It’s going to miss the headline grabbing V6 turbodiesel energy present in costlier Ford Rangers and Volkswagen Amaroks.
Rivero left the door open to V6 grunt additional down the road, although, saying the product line goes to evolve.
Kia makes use of a 184kW/560Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel motor in its Mohave giant four-wheel drive that’s offered abroad.
Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith says we will count on to see the car earlier than the tip of the yr.
The corporate additionally confirmed camouflaged prototypes shall be testing Down Underneath earlier than the car is revealed.
Meredith says the corporate is aiming to promote between 20,000 and 25,000 utes in Australia, which might make it one of many greatest markets globally for the brand new dual-cab.
He additionally stated if all goes to plan it could make Kia the second highest promoting model within the nation behind Toyota.
The brand new ute would be the solely workhorse from an enormous title model that shall be lined by a seven yr/limitless km guarantee.