In 2023 Kia announced that it was developing a full-size bakkie that will eventually compete with the likes of the industry’s heavy hitters like Ford, Isuzu, and Toyota, and it appears they are one step closer to that goal.
A spy video has been making the rounds on social media of what is allegedly the Korean brand’s new prototype vehicle, giving motorists their first glimpse of what the final product may eventually look like.
What’s been shown so far
The video shows a large bakkie in a parking lot in South Korea, all wrapped up in a black production camouflage.
The public has been quick to make comparisons between the prototype’s basic shape, based on what can be gleaned from under the covers, and other vehicles from the Kia stable, with the Telluride being the most natural comparison.
The Telluride, which is not available in South Africa, is a mid-size SUV with a much more blocky design than the current Sportage, and it appears as if the bakkie follows a similar philosophy with a flat front and big opening for a grille, as evidenced by the cutouts in the test model.
2024 Kia Telluride
Importantly, the new Kia, which is rumoured to be called the Tasman, will use a ladder-frame construction rather than a unibody style like the Telluride, making it much more comparable in its construction to popular light-commercial vehicles such as the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, and Toyota Hilux.
Likewise, the vehicle appears to be similar in size to the current-gen Ranger, putting it around five metres in length; an observation backed up by the fact that the Kia only just seems to fit in a standard parking space.
The bakkie is mounted atop Kumho tyres with 17-inch silver alloy wheels, but other aspects of the exterior, like the headlights, are difficult to discern through the wrappings.
Again, this is clearly a prototype model undergoing road testing and should not be considered indicative of the final product, but the few shots of the interior do show interesting details.
The doors seem to have soft-touch armrests built in and hexagonal-looking handles, and the centre console incorporates a large gearshift with what appears to be an engine start button next to it.
The gear level also has switched next to it for 2H, 4H, and 4L modes, indicating that the Kia will have a selectable four-wheel-drive system.
The company has not provided any official details on the vehicle’s specifications, but other outlets have suggested that it will use a 2.2-litre, turbo-diesel engine and will also be offered as a single and chassis cab.
There is speculation that the bakkie will eventually be made available as a battery-electric model in line with the global shift towards new-energy vehicles, which is a sound possibility given the success Kia has had with its battery cars like the EV6.
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