2025 Kia Tasman vs rivals: Is this new ute more Jeep Gladiator than Ford Ranger?

There’s no understating how important the Tasman ute is to Kia, but can it compete against the big dogs like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux?

Kia has finally officially lifted the lid on its heavily Aussie-influenced 2025 Tasman ute and it is one of the brand’s biggest models to date. Literally.

Measuring a sizeable 5410mm long and with a 3270mm wheelbase, the Tasman is bigger than even the Carnival people mover, but how does it stack up against its other 4WD dual-cab ute rivals?

The Tasman’s length makes it longer than key rivals like the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, and Isuzu D-Max, but it still falls short of the Jeep Gladiator even if the Kia does borrow more than a few design cues from the US-built model.

How big is the 2025 Kia Tasman?

Model Length Width Height Wheelbase
Kia Tasman 5410mm 1930mm 1870-1920mm 3270mm
Ford Ranger 5370mm 2015mm 1875-1886mm 3270mm
Toyota HiLux 5325mm 1855-2020mm 1865-1880mm 3085mm
Isuzu D-Max 5280-5310mm 1870-1880mm 1785-1810mm 3125mm
Jeep Gladiator 5591mm 1894mm 1905-1909mm 3488mm

Physical size is one thing, but the Kia Tasman also has to compete in terms of outputs from its 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, which is the same unit found under the bonnet of the Sorento large SUV and Carnival people mover.

To Kia’s credit, the brand has tweaked the engine to deliver more power and torque, but only slightly, with the former up 6kW to 154kW and the latter increasing just 1Nm to 441Nm.

This means power is comparable to the other volume-selling dual-cab ute rivals, but torque is notably behind.

What engine does the 2025 Kia Tasman have?

Model Engine Power Torque Transmission
Kia Tasman 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder 154kW 441Nm Eight-speed automatic
Ford Ranger 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel 154kW 500Nm 10-speed automatic
Toyota HiLux 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder 150kW 500Nm Six-speed automatic
Isuzu D-Max 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder 140kW 450Nm Six-speed automatic
Jeep Gladiator 3.6-litre petrol V6 209kW 347Nm Eight-speed automatic

Crucial to the success of any ute in Australia is whether it can get the job done, whether that be towing a caravan or hauling tools.

Luckily, it looks like the Tasman will deliver the goods here, with a segment-standard 3500kg braked towing capacity and a payload figure exceeding big-name rivals.

The size of the rear tub also looks to be good, with measurements that make the load floor area large enough to accommodate a full-sized pallet, so tool boxes, bikes, camping gear, fishing rods, surfboards, and whatever else should be easily swallowed too.

Is the 2025 Kia Tasman fit for purpose?

Model Braked towing Payload capacity Tub size (length by width between wheel arches)
Kia Tasman 3500kg 1017-1195kg 1512mm x 1186mm
Ford Ranger 3500kg 912-1126g 1547mm x 1224mm
Toyota HiLux 3500kg 780-1075kg 1570mm x 1105mm
Isuzu D-Max 3500kg 930-1145kg 1570mm x 1122mm
Jeep Gladiator 2721kg 693kg 1531mm x 1443mm

Regardless of what you think about the styling of the 2025 Tasman, it’s clear that the South Korean brand isn’t entering the dual-cab ute market for a holiday, Kia is here to make an impact.

In fact, if Kia Australia can achieve its stated 20,000-plus sales a year for Tasman, and if the bulk of those sales are new to the brand, the marque could be the new number two brand in in the country, overtaking Ford and Mazda.

It’s obvious that there are huge expectations for the Tasman, so luckily Kia has equipped the Tasman to be rugged and capable enough to handle that hefty weight.

The post 2025 Kia Tasman vs rivals: Is this new ute more Jeep Gladiator than Ford Ranger? appeared first on Drive.

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