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Australia represents much more than a new sales opportunity for the Kia Tasman: it is shaping up to be a decisive market for the Korean brand’s first car.
Australians are expected to earn one in three Tasmans built, according to new reports.
The well-connected Korean media site, The Korean Car Blog, reports that the Kia Tasman will be manufactured at the brand’s massive plant, Autoland Hwaseong, and the company is aiming for an annual production of 65,000 vehicles.
These figures highlight the importance of the Australian market, given that Kia in Australia sells more than 20,000 units per year.
If this target is met, Australian buyers will buy a third of all Kia Tasman produced.
It’s a point that hasn’t escaped Kia’s management team, who describe the “responsibility” they feel to make the Tasman a success, given that much of its progression has occurred in and for Australia.
In fact, Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith suggests our market accounts for around 30% of ute development, which is in line with their business ambitions.
“The involvement of (Roland Rivero, Kia Australia’s managing director of product planning) and his team has been huge, and so has (driving, driving and engineering expert) Graeme Gambold,” said Mr Meredith.
“What they’ve done, over a long period of time, is they’ve been able to generate a lot of buy-in of the R
“It’s an honour for them and an honour for Kia Australia.
“It’s a car. A car for South Africa. A car for the Middle East. “
Rivero, who led Australia’s involvement in the Tasmanian project, explained to CarsGuide the “responsibility” he feels to secure the brand’s first joint venture, given the point of Australian contribution.
“It’s another sport,” says Rivero. But this participation comes with a lot of responsibility. “
As previously reported, the long-awaited twin-cab diesel could get a first mark in Australia, with production likely to be moved to December this year, meaning the UTE could be in Australia until January 2025.
The logo indicated a “familiar” four-cylinder diesel engine. Most likely, this was the same 2. 2-litre unit discovered in the Sorento and Carnival, which produces 148kW and 440Nm, most likely associated with an eight-speed automatic transmission. There will also be a manual option, with a payload of more than 1,000 kg and a braking towing capacity of 3. 5 tonnes.