There had been a lot of speculation when Kia confirmed that a new pickup truck was coming to America that is not the Tasman. One of them was a Kia-badged truck from Hyundai’s collaboration with GM, or maybe a Sportage-based truck a la Hyundai Santa Cruz. But the Korean marque has other plans and officially reveals what it will introduce to North America: an electric truck.
Kia
Kia is a South Korean automaker headquartered in Seoul. It was originally founded in 1944 as a bicycle manufacturer which later built small motorcycles, and Mazda-licensed trucks and cars. After building an assembly plant in th early 70s, the company also produced the Bisa range of cars until 1981 before coming to a half due to the political situation at the time. Production kicked off again in 1986 in partnership with Ford, and in 1992 the company started sellling cars in North America. Today it is the second-largest automaker in South Korea, right behind Hyundai.
- Founded
-
June 9, 1944 (as Kyungsung Precision Industry)
- Founder
-
Kim Cheol-ho
- Headquarters
-
Seoul, South Korea
- Owned By
-
Hyundai Motor Group
- Current CEO
-
Ho Sung Song
At the 2025 Kia CEO Investor Day, the automaker confirmed that an electric pickup is coming, and it will be based on a new EV platform. We’ve known about an electric truck since late last year, as confirmed by a Kia official at a media roundtable attended by CarBuzz. But that was confirmation of an electric Tasman rather than the totally different truck that Kia has just confirmed for America.
Robust Towing System And Off-Road Capabilities
Details about the new platform have not been shared, except that it will be designed for both urban and outdoor use. Kia also recognized the diverse market needs for pickups, either with internal combustion engines (ICE) or as battery-electric vehicles. While the Tasman will be sold to Korea, Australia, and other emerging markets, America will have something different.
Related
The Kia Tasman Might Make A Run At The TRD, Raptor, And ZR2 Crowd
A production model based on the Tasman Weekender concept could give Kia a real off-road fighter.
Kia didn’t share deeper details about its upcoming electric truck for North America, but it did say that it aims to eventually sell 90,000 units of it annually and hold a 7% market share. The truck is also said to have a robust towing system and off-road capabilities while offering best-in-class interior and cargo space and advanced infotainment and safety features. The segment itself will be tough to crack, as it means going toe-to-toe with the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, and forthcoming Scout Terra.
Likely To Be Made In The USA
While not mentioned in its press release, the upcoming electric Kia truck will likely be manufactured in the US to avoid the dreaded Chicken Tax and, of course, the latest auto tariffs that make it almost impossible to sell imported trucks in the US – although Ineos persists with the Grenadier Quartermaster. Kia has started manufacturing the EV6 locally in its plant in West Point, Georgia assembly plant, so there’s a possibility that the EV truck will also be assembled there.
Related
One Car Is More American Than Any Other, And It’s Not The One You Think
The most American car? This one surprised us.
Unfortunately, Kia didn’t mention any timeline for its upcoming truck for Americans, though we can expect it to arrive on the market within the next five years, considering that the 2025 Kia CEO Investor Day was focused on the automaker’s plans for this year until 2030. We’ll know more details as they come.
#Kia #Confirms #Midsize #Pickup #Truck #America.. #Tasman
