As Kia inches closer to unveiling the Tasman, a global mid-size pickup truck, the Korean manufacturer has started testing its second truck, which will be fully electric. A camouflaged prototype was recently filmed on public roads in the U.S. The electric Kia pickup will serve as the latest entrant into a growing EV truck segment pioneered by the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T, although it’s unlikely Kia to chase performance figures like those two, and will probably be more similar to offerings from Ford, Chevrolet, and Ram.
This prototype appears to have headlights
and most of the front fascia lifted from the Kia EV9. It’s even finished in the
same shade of matte blue as the EV9. The test truck is also fitted with the same
taillights as the Hyundai Santa Cruz. While these lights suit the pickup quite
well, we suspect they’ll be changed for the production model.
Compared to the Kia Tasman, the styling of
the brand’s electric pickup appears slightly more conventional. Teasers and spy
images of the Tasman have depicted it with odd black fender flares and an
extremely unusual front end. Kia’s electric pickup will probably follow a
similar design philosophy to the brand’s other EVs, including the EV5, updated
EV6, and the EV9, and sport shapely and aggressive DRLs up front with similarly
striking LEDs at the rear.
Little else is known about the pickup but
it’s not expected to have a body-on-frame design like the Tasman. In early
2023, Hyundai indicated its second-generation EV platform to replace the E-GMP
will support an electric truck. Unlike the Tasman, Kia’s electric pickup will
be sold in the U.S. but to avoid the 25% ‘Chicken Tax,’ it could be built
locally.
