Editor Matt Hewetson took the new  
Kia Tasman TX to meet its namesake sea on a 
1000km road trip to Northland’s west coast.
Kia Tasman TX
Road Trip to the west Side
BY MATHEW HEWETSON  
T
he diesel ute market is 
extremely competitive here 
in Godzone and the class 
keeps proving to be popular 
with Kiwis as the vehicle to 
suit our modern town and 
outdoor lifestyles.  The sales numbers 
also back this up with three utes in 
the top ten for passenger vehicle 
sales, which include the Ford Ranger, 
Toyota Hilux, and Mitsubishi Triton.
Many of the car brands have 
looked to tap into this segment 
with several new utes appearing 
on local shores and South Korean 
vehicle manufacturer Kia have 
launched the aptly named Tasman 
after rigorous testing in Australasia.
There are ten models in the line 
up from the TX 2WD Single Cab 
($43,690 +ORC) and up to the 
top model X-Pro 4WD Double 
Cab Wellside ($79,690 +ORC).  
Our test model was the TX 4WD 
Double Cab Wellside which 
retails for $52,690 (+ORC).
Engineered for extremes 
and redefining comfort.
On first impressions, the Tasman 
is quite different looking from 
traditional utes (which all really look 
the same).  I wasn’t sure about it at 
first, however the Tasman does make 
a bold first impression with those 
muscular lines, and an unmistakably 
rugged looking design. It appears 
to be bigger than other utes and 
it does have a few best-in-class 
features that will appeal to buyers.
40  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE
Tested
Kia Tasman TX

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