Take a look at this! It’s a 2026 Kia Tasman prototype midsize pickup truck towing a large trailer towards Las Vegas, Nevada on I-15 North. What is this prototype doing in the U.S.? Does this mean it’s coming on sale in the USA and North America? Let’s dig in!
First, I want to give sincere thanks to Andrew R. for sending us these spy shots. Andrew saw this prototype today.
Seeing this prototype on U.S. soil with a Michigan manufacturer license plates does not immediately mean that the vehicle is coming on sale here anytime soon. Manufacturers often test their new vehicles around the world, no matter where the vehicle goes on sale. They may go to northern Sweden to test in very cold conditions. They may come to California to test in the hot deserts. They may come to Colorado or other places to test for high elevation.
For example, we did this story in March of 2015 about a Hyundai H350 full-size van prototypes testing with trailers in California. Well, we are still waiting for Hyundai to sell a full-size commercial van in the U.S (over nine years later).
Why is this prototype still wearing camouflage when it already made its world debut in the Middle East? When this happens, it usually means the testing team still needs to complete a regimen of testing with existing prototypes. There may be many other reasons for keeping the camouflage.
Here is what the Kia Tasman looks like without camouflage. It has a polarizing exterior design. It goes on sale in several markets around the world. The production Tasman has a choice of turbo gasoline and turbo diesel engines. There is a manual transmission available. There is no official word from Kia about any intent to bring the Tasman to the American markets.
If the Tasman pickup truck was to come to the U.S., it will have to built in North America. It will compete directly against the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator, and a Honda Ridgeline.
Here is our initial take on the truck’s debut.
