Kia debuts Tasman to target $333 bn global pickup truck market

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker, on Tuesday premiered the Tasman, its first pickup truck to target the global light or medium duty truck market expected to grow to $333.3 billion.

Hundreds of global car enthusiasts and auto journalists attending the Jeddah International Motor Show cheered and clapped as the Tasman slowly emerged amid special-effect smoke and spotlights from the 46-meter ceiling of the Jeddah Superdome, the world’s largest geodesic dome in the Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea.

“We will shake up the global pickup truck market with the Tasman,” said Kia President and CEO Song Ho Sung at the model’s world premiere.

The global pickup truck market was forecast to grow more than 50% to $333.3 billion by 2032 from an estimated $218.5 billion this year, according to industry research firm Fortune Business Insights.

BETTER OUTPUT THAN THE TOYOTA HILUX

The Tasman is 80-year-old Kia’s first pickup truck equipped with a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission or a 2.2-liter diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

The gasoline model has a maximum output of 281 horsepower (hp), better than the 235 hp of the Toyota Hilux, an expected rival.

The Tasman has undergone 1,777 specific tests conducted over more than 18,000 cycles of evaluation over more than four years.

Kia defied doubts raised by some critics, who said only a few automakers such as General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. can make pickup trucks.

Kia has been developing military vehicles for South Korea’s armed forces since the automaker was selected as a defense company for the government in 1975. The company also manufactures famous sport utility vehicles such as the Sorento, the best-selling automobile in South Korea.

“We have developed a sturdy pickup truck for rough terrain off-road,” Song said. “Kia guarantees best-in-class performance and safety with its lineup of award-winning SUVs such as the Sportage, Sorento, Telluride and EV9.”

The company plans to launch the Tasman in South Korea next year and export it to Australia, the Middle East and Africa in stages.

MIDDLE EAST

Kia is targeting the Middle East, Africa and South America as the Tasman’s core markets.

The affiliate of South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. has been expanding its brand and solidifying customer loyalty in the Middle East since it entered the market by exporting the Mazda-based Brisa sedan to Qatar in 1975.

Pickup trucks are gaining popularity in the region due to rising demand for vehicles that can be used for both business and recreational purposes.

“Demand for pickups is increasing with the growing fever for dune bashing, where people drive out of the cities to deserts on weekends to run through dunes or compete in drifting skills,” said Gautam Arun, Kia’s head of products for the Middle East and Africa, who oversees the company’s business in 66 countries.

Kia opened the largest exhibition hall at the Jeddah International Motor Show among booths of automakers to showcase not only the Tasman but also internal combustion engine models such as the Sorento and Sportage, as well as electric vehicles including the EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9.

CHINESE RIVALS

Chinese EV makers dominated the show with half of the participants from the mainland to expand their presence in the Middle East.

BYD Co., the world’s top EV manufacturer, is set to exhibit the luxury electric SUV YangWang U8 and others, while China’s largest privately owned carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. plans to showcase its low-cost electric SUV Galaxy E5.

Toyota Motor Corp. is poised to introduce its future strategy centered on its sport compact car GR Yaris.

The Jeddah International Motor Show held every two years is expanding its event, while auto shows in the US and Europe are shrinking due to growing consumer interest in information technology.

Saudi Arabia, which hosts annual motor shows alternately in Riyadh and Jeddah, aims to develop the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition (MICE) sector as a future growth engine.

The Jeddah International Motor Show, which will be held on Oct. 29-Nov. 2, expects to attract more than 300,000 visitors from neighboring countries.

Write to Jin-Won Kim at jin1@hankyung.com
 
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.