Kias The local boss is on hand Tasman ute said: “We will continue to work exceptionally hard to ensure it is a success in the Australian market.”
Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith spoke to the media about the Tasman issue at the launch of the new EV4 electric sedan, before journalists had a chance to address it.
“The first thing I would like to say about Tasman is that we have great confidence in the Tasman product and will continue to work exceptionally hard to ensure it is a success in the Australian market,” Mr Meredith said.
“We’re not making excuses or looking for excuses for the slow start. It’s only been on the market for seven months, it hasn’t been on the market for seven years. We still have a lot of work to do and we know it’s a great product and will work in the Australian market.”
“You also know Australia has asked for this product – so we have to make it work,” Mr Meredith added.
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After its launch in July 2025, the Tasman recorded 4,196 registrations in 4×2 and 4×4 variants. At current levels, the Tasman won’t even reach 10,000 units after the first 12 months of sales, which is less than half of the Korean brand’s initial forecasts for its first dual-cab model.
Making matters worse, two of the top three best-selling vehicles in Australia last year were dual cabs – the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux – each selling more than 50,000 units in the calendar year, more than five times the Tasman.
Just a few months ago, some local Kia executives talked about it Daily Sparkz The fleet-focused entry-level variants had not launched as successfully as the company had hoped, and at the start of the new year there was a renewed focus on the fleet business.
“We can see where we’re missing out. (We) see how our X-Series cars (X-Line,
“That’s partly because the fleet content at Tasman isn’t where it needs to be, but that’s coming together. I think you’ll see there will be a hockey stick at Tasman by 2026 (in terms of sales performance) without a doubt.”
“In Tasman our targets have always been quite ambitious. The reality is the (dual cab) segment has become much more fragmented,” Mr Piccoli continued.
“Whether it’s powertrains – whether hybrid or diesel – the number of brands that are there, the brands that rely so heavily on their (utes) product, and just the general level of aggressiveness in the market… it’s extremely competitive.”
“We’re working on where we want to be overall in 2026. We’re not a one-car company, we’re not a Tasman car company, we don’t want to be a Carnival car company. We want a good breakdown of cars… so we have to find the right mix that makes economic sense for us.”
Asked directly about the company’s commitment to hitting its long-announced annual target of 20,000 units, Mr. Piccoli replied: “We’ll see.”
In a follow-up interview Roland Rivero, general manager of products at Kia Australia suggested Daily Sparkz that – depending on the next 12 to 18 months – the company would be more inclined to rationalize the local Tasman range rather than expand it further when asked about range adjustments to increase sales.
“For a Kia product, (the Tasman) is by far the most complex Kia product we have on the market in terms of the number of variants, the number of trims and the payload of 0.9 versus 1.0 tonnes etc. There are many variants there that need to be managed by the respective inventory controllers in our dealer network,” Mr Rivero said.
The first single cab/chassis versions of the Tasman will arrive in local dealers in January and February 2026, forming a key building block in the Korean brand’s attack on the fleet ute market.
MORE: Explore the Kia Tasman showroom
