Kia is about to launch SUV Tasman, "competing" with Ford Everest and Toyota Fortuner

Video : Launch of Kia Tasman pickup, competing with Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.

Although not yet approved for production, this project is considered a strategic step to expand Kia's presence in the mid-size off-road SUV segment, where familiar names such as Ford Everest, Toyota Fortuner and Isuzu MU-X are competing.

The information was confirmed by Mr. Dong Hoon Kang – Vice President of Kia’s Medium and Large Vehicle Chassis Design Center – in an interview with Drive (Australia). He said that the engineering team has now begun to consider the feasibility of this SUV project.

Kia is about to launch the Tasman SUV, "competing" with the Ford Everest and Toyota Fortuner.

“We are now starting to look at developing an SUV,” said Mr Kang. “Not just Tasman, we are looking at the whole range of platform vehicles, both pick-ups and SUVs.

”In addition to the Tasman pickup truck that has been officially revealed, Kia is showing its ambition to penetrate deeper into the genuine off-road vehicle segment with a body-on-frame chassis - a platform that is popular in markets such as Australia, the Middle East or Southeast Asia. This puts Kia in direct competition with brands that have many years of experience in this field such as Toyota, Ford or Isuzu.

Developing an SUV using the same chassis as the Tasman will help Kia optimize research and production costs.

Developing an SUV using the same platform as the Tasman would help Kia optimize research and production costs. This is also a common practice of many car manufacturers: for example, the Toyota Hilux and Fortuner, the Ford Ranger and Everest, or the Isuzu D-Max and MU-X.

In addition, observers expect that if the project is approved, the new SUV could become the “spiritual successor” to the Kia Mohave – a 7-seat modular SUV that was produced in Korea from 2008 to 2024. In the context that Mohave has just stopped production, this is a good time for Kia to fill the gap in its off-road SUV portfolio.

Kia has not made a final decision yet, as it still has to evaluate the potential in other international markets.

The Australian market is considered an ideal destination for the new chassis SUV model thanks to the consumption trend of high-chassis, 7-seat, multi-purpose SUVs. However, Kia has not yet made a final decision, as it still has to evaluate the potential in other international markets.

According to analysts, if this project is only successful in Australia, it will be difficult to bring about a large enough investment efficiency. Expansion to regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa or South America will be the decisive factor for the survival of this car line.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/kia-sap-ra-mat-suv-tasman-dau-ford-everest-va-toyota-fortuner-post2149043939.html