Plug-in hybrid power is one of a number of options Kia is considering for an electrified Tasman, but it does not feel the need to rush into the market.
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A new Kia Tasman variant to challenge the popular BYD Shark 6 – as well as its Ford Ranger and GWM Cannon Alpha plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute rivals – is under consideration to follow the diesel in dealers now.
However, it may take a while to reach showrooms, and it may follow a conventional hybrid variant, without a plug, as well as a battery-electric model producing zero tailpipe emissions.
The engineer overseeing the development of the Tasman's body and chassis, Dong Hoon Kang, exclusively told Drive that PHEV power is an option being considered for the new ute.
"Yeah, we already have the plug-in hybrid system also, but we are looking for the market right now," Kang, Kia Vice President of Mid-Large Sized Vehicle Chassis Engineering Design Centre, said.
All Kia plug-in hybrids currently in global showrooms use a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – some with a turbocharger – combined with an electric motor, and 11.1kWh to 13.8kWh battery packs.
However, they are all front-wheel-drive-based – not rear-wheel-drive-based like the Tasman – and would need considerable upgrades in engine, electric motor and battery specifications to suit a ute.
The Kia Tasman is available overseas with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which could form the basis of a future PHEV.
To compete with its Chinese rivals, it would need a battery with a capacity of about 30kWh, and one or more electric motors more powerful than a Niro PHEV small SUV's 83kW unit.
These technical challenges indicate a Tasman PHEV is not right over the horizon.
"No," Kia Australia head of product planning Roland Rivero told Drive, when asked if Kia feels the PHEV ute market is one it should rush into.
"We see the movement in the marketplace. We've spoken to some fleets, and we've seen that some of the fleets are starting to lean in that direction in terms of their green credentials and their carbon footprint.
"So there's definitely a movement towards [that]."
Even if a plug-in hybrid remains a few years away, Rivero said an electrified Tasman is on the wish list to help meet Australia's new-vehicle emissions rules, known as the NVES.
"We're obviously campaigning for a hybrid, and then as it gets tougher and tougher still under NVES, then we're looking at a full BEV [battery-electric vehicle].
"For now, let's launch the product, but behind the scenes we're campaigning for the development of a hybrid powertrain for this product."
The rush to beat a Fringe Benefits Tax exemption on plug-in hybrids that ended in April has catapulted the BYD Shark 6 up the sales charts, with more than 10,000 deliveries to customers in the first six months of this year.
Its success has continued beyond the tax break, though; it was Australia's fifth-best-selling car in June, reporting 2993 deliveries, ahead of all other utes bar the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
