Kia Tasman Design fix: Design boss responds to Tasman criticism

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In the wake of at-times intense criticism of the exterior design of the Kia Tasman ute, the brand has today revealed a drivable prototype of a widebody Tasman that substantially addresses key complaints.

Chasing Cars has been up close and personal with the Tasman Weekender concept that runs on larger wheels and a wider track than the standard car but uses identical running gear including the 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine making 154kW/441Nm.

When asked about whether the Weekender’s styling cues are destined for production as a fix to the Tasman’s styling, head of Kia global design Karim Habib told Chasing Cars that Kia “has to be flexible, has to learn and understand (market feedback).”

“We have played with the idea of body colour(ed fenders). It is something we will do in the future in different ways, in different shapes and forms.”

Body-coloured fenders, headlight protection and wider track

The sand beige Tasman Weekender was revealed quietly on the sidelines of this week’s 2025 Seoul Mobility Show—an event at which Kia was much more interested in discussing its new PV5 electric van, which has previously been shown in rugged Weekender trim.

Like the PV5, the Tasman Weekender has lime green visual highlights. Its extended flares sit behind a cutaway front bar while a winch sits behind the front number plate. A large storage box sits in the tray while snow sports equipment is mounted to the roof.

We already know that Kia will offer body-coloured fenders in Australia—but how about the Tasman Weekender’s widebody and wider track, perhaps in a Raptor rival?

“Maybe that will come,” said Habib. “If (Australia) shows certain interest, that is something we can consider … when you have these wider tracks, these bigger wheels—trucks live from that wheel-to-body proportion. It is really, really essential.” 

And would a Tasman Raptor rival need a bigger engine than the 2.2-litre diesel? “I am a designer, so I would like that very much!” 

Kia design boss hits back at the haters

While Habib acknowledged customer feedback from Australia, which has tended to be forthright, Kia’s global design boss mounted a clear defence of the production Tasman’s unusual styling.

“The pick-up market is a very loyal market and it is obviously very mature for certain brands. For (Kia) to make an entry of value we felt we had to offer something different and that is what we tried to do. We tried to do something based on our principles … I believe that is what the Tasman is,” Habib told Chasing Cars.

How does global Kia design boss Habib feel about the ‘haters’ who have been scathing online about Kia’s new ute—after the design team put so much effort in?

“I am not an objective person. My perception is that the feedback has been polarising. To me, that is different. That means there is a lot of negative feedback but there is a lot of positive feedback. The sales (of Tasman) in Korea have been quite positive.

“Our intention was to create something that is not like what is out there. When you do something like that, you have to accept there are things that (will be) well accepted and certain things not. It is something we are conscious of. Yes, (Tasman) does not please everyone. We don’t expect to be leaders in the (pick-up) market right away.”