Let’s not kid ourselves, the ute segment isn’t by any stretch of the imagination the pinnacle of automotive design.
To the average non-ute-buying punter, if you lined up Australia’s three top-selling utes – the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max – in the same colour, chances are they might struggle to tell them apart.
Long gone are the days (or so I thought) of utes that take genuine design risks. Just look up the 2013 Holden Commodore VF SS ‘Blue Meanie’ or the 2002 Ford Falcon XR8 Pursuit for reference if you disagree.
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Modern utes have instead become characterised by their play-it-safe approach to design. As long as it has a supersized front grille, a pokey rear tub, a sports bar and a 4x4 badge, it affords the title of a ute nowadays.
Which is why the Kia Tasman’s design is so refreshing.
For the first time since the departure of the Holden Commodore or the Ford Falcon, the Tasman finally feels like a model that breaks the design mould in a segment that has become defined by its homogeneity.
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Its boxy silhouette, sharp lines, thick wheel arches, hard-wearing black trims and lofty ground clearance give it a strong sense of utility and sportiness. After all, isn’t that how all modern utes are supposed to look?
The nine paint colours Kia is offering are by far the best in the segment, too. Tan Beige, Denim Blue and Cityscape Green are particular favourites.
Then there’s the Tasman’s distinctive front grille and LED headlight configuration. Sure, it might not be to everyone’s taste, but at least it doesn’t box the Tasman into being just another indistinguishable diesel-guzzling ute.
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That was exactly the idea, according to Roland Rivero, Kia Australia’s General Manager of Product Planning.
“We set out as a brand to be different, to be distinctive in what is a fairly heritage type of conservative segment,” Rivero told CarsGuide last month.
“Our designers set out to deliver a product that's designed for 2025 to 2035, as opposed to a product that's really pretty much designed for the era that's gone by. So it remains to be seen obviously, the proof will be in the pudding when the time comes.”
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It's an approach that has paid dividends for Kia in recent history, as it went from a moribund budget car brand to one of the world’s most popular car brands by sales in a decade – one which is now renowned for its stylish designs.
Whether or not that formula delivers on the Tasman and translates to the 20,000 or so annual sales Kia is hoping for in Australia (which could see it overtake Ford as Australia's second-biggest brand behind Toyota) remains to be seen.
But business is about taking risks, and if this one pays off, Kia might well have the last laugh.
