Will Kia’s Tasman Accessories Make You Forget Its Odd Looks?

The Kia Tasman has emerged arsenic 1 of the year’s astir polarizing debuts, acknowledgment to its unconventional, eyebrow-raising styling. Alongside its planetary debut, Kia introduced a suite of optional accessories for the midsize truck, designed to boost some functionality and curb appeal—or truthful they claim. But tin these extras really marque the Tasman much enticing to skeptical buyers? Let’s cheque them out.

The automaker has confirmed it volition connection a full of 13 accessory products for its first-ever pickup. Among the offerings are 4 antithetic furniture accessory configurations, 2 styles of broadside steps, and a acceptable of beadlock-style wheels. A person look astatine the images reveals adjacent more: larger fender extensions, a snorkel, and an off-road bumper equipped with an integrated bull bar.

More: 5 Things You Need To Know About The Polarizing Kia Tasman

The Tasman’s astir divisive diagnostic has to beryllium its horizontal, unpainted integrative fenders—a prime that’s sparked much than a fewer double-takes. Damen Meredith, CEO of Kia Australia, appeared to admit the backlash adjacent earlier the debut, hinting that a hole was successful the works.

Fender Extensions and Bull Bars

The solution, arsenic it turns out, involves a acceptable of chunky fender extensions that travel the contours of the instrumentality arches, tying them visually to the bumpers and broadside moldings. This tweak does lend the Tasman a somewhat much conventional, rugged look without wholly abandoning its boxy plan language. The downside to this is that the rear fender add-ons don’t look to clasp the applicable retention compartment recovered successful the banal version.

The Kia Tasman retrofitted with fender extensions, a extortion rack, and a sports rotation bar.

The treble chassis-cab variant of the Tasman featuring an off-road bumper with a bull bar, and a snorkel.

And past there’s the beforehand end. The Tasman’s look is… challenging. The hood sports a horn-like trim element, and the signature Tiger Nose grille is wedged betwixt fender-mounted headlights successful a mode that mightiness beryllium intended arsenic assertive but mostly comes crossed arsenic awkward.

One imaginable hole for this plan mishap is the hefty protective bull bar, mounted connected the optional off-road bumper and flanked by further LED lights. This accessory admittedly looks chill successful the pictured treble chassis-cab variant of the truck, particularly successful operation with the achromatic steelies, broadside steps, and a snorkel.

In an effort to downplay the stark opposition of the unpainted integrative elements, Kia has opted for achromatic Tasmans successful astir of the property photos. It’s a clever trick—black hides a multitude of sins—but it’s hard to shingle the feeling that the Tasman was styled by committee, with each subordinate pulling successful a antithetic direction.

Bed Accessories

The automaker has besides elaborate the the 4 furniture accessory configurations. The Single Decker combines a rear canopy with butterfly doors, and a extortion rack. The Double Decker besides features the trunk with butterfly doors, but adds a sliding tonneau screen and a customisable cargo space. Finally, the Sports Roll Bar doubles arsenic a framework for mounting equipment, portion the Ladder Rack is compatible with rooftop tents for camping.

The flagship X-Pro trim of the Tasman with what appears to beryllium the Double Decker configuration.

Kia claims that “customisation is cardinal to the Tasman’s appeal”, adding that the accessories are designed to “enhance leisure and enactment activities”. Given that pickup buyers thin to thin heavy into off-road and applicable modifications, these options should assistance the Tasman carve retired a chiseled niche—and perchance pull a broader assemblage successful the process.

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Nevertheless, it remains to beryllium seen if the archetypal Kia-branded pickup tin realistically vie with well-established rivals similar the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux that are best-sellers. After all, this is wherefore the Kia Tasman looks similar it does successful the archetypal place, with its designers adopting a “fresh attack to aesthetics”, successful a quest to deviate from the “familiar signifier language” that defines astir pickup trucks successful the segment.

Pricing for the motortruck and its accessory packages remains nether wraps, though Kia has confirmed they’ll beryllium sold successful bundled packages. The Tasman volition archetypal deed the marketplace successful Korea, followed by Australia, Africa, and the Middle East successful 2025. Accessory availability is expected to alteration by region, which mightiness frustrate anyone hoping for afloat customization options close retired of the gate.

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