Do Body Color Fenders Fix The Kia Tasman’s Looks?

Kia is officially in the pickup truck business, and one of the sticking points for its pickup, the Tasman, is the styling. Whether you like it or not, everyone can agree it’s unconventional to say the least. Among its odd styling cues are the rectangular black contrasting fender flares. Even more so than other vehicles’ body cladding, these flares stand out. It seems that Kia may have a solution in the form of body-colored flares, which might sway some otherwise unconvinced customers.

Painted Fenders And A Big Front Air Dam

The evidence comes from an Instagram page called Kia Tasman Club, and it was spotted by Carscoops. The page shared a single image of a white Kia Tasman with the fully painted fenders. No other information was given about it, so it’s not completely clear if this is an option from Kia, or if a dealer or owner painted the fenders of their own accord. Considering the newness of the truck, it seems more likely that Kia is going to offer these fenders on some Tasman trims. The look is quite distinct, and certainly blends the whole fender into the bodywork. From the front, it gains a bit of a mini Ram look. The contrasting hood cladding and large grille surround are certainly still polarizing.

We also noticed that this Tasman features a pretty huge air dam. Most of the images we’ve seen have been of more off-road oriented examples without the dam in order to have a better approach angle. We’re assuming this air dam is included on more basic trims to reduce drag and improve fuel economy. It’s interesting that it’s so prominent and visible. Many other pickup trucks tend to hide their air dams farther behind the bumper to maintain the illusion of being more off-road ready. This one looks borderline sporty.

Kia Anticipates Success, Has Big Plans For Tasman

Despite the unusual looks, Kia has previously said the Tasman is looking like a strong seller. It reported back in December that it already has around 20,000 Tasman orders. It’s going to launch with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine, as well as a turbocharged 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder in select markets. Kia will also eventually offer an electric version. No plans for the US have been announced. The truck will be built in South Korea, which means it would be subject to at least the 25% Chicken Tax tariff in the US, on top of any tariffs levied in the future by the Trump administration. So it would seem that Kia would have to open an assembly line for the truck in the States to offer it. If Kia were to create an SUV version, though, it could import that without being subject to the Chicken Tax, making it a more likely possibility if Kia builds it.