Prices of Kia's new Tasman ute have already been cut – and accessories thrown in for free – as its target of 10,000 sold by New Year's Eve looks increasingly difficult.
Kia has already cut the new Tasman ute's price by up to $6971 three months after launch – in a limited-time offer – amid slow sales running at less than half of the brand's projections.
The high-grade Tasman X-Line – one of the most popular variants in the range – is now listed for $67,990 drive-away in all regions bar WA, where it is $68,990, down from $70,990 and $71,990 drive-away, respectively.
The discount, valid until October 31, 2025 or "while stocks last", also includes a no-cost 'Sports Pack' that adds a soft tonneau cover, short-arm sports bar, tubular side steps, and metallic paint.
These extras would normally cost $3971 from the accessories list, bringing the total saving close to $7000.
It comes amid slow sales of the Tasman in its first few months on the market, with just 2499 delivered since the first was handed over in late June 2025 – or 2262 in the past three months.
Kia Australia has set a bold target of delivering 10,000 Tasmans before the end of this year – and 20,000 next year – to place fourth in the ute category, behind the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max.
To achieve its goal for 2025, Kia would need to sell 2500 each month – in effect, its current year-to-date sales total – until the end of the year.
In contrast, sales of rival utes over the past three months tally 14,546 for the Toyota HiLux, 13,739 for the Ford Ranger, 6654 for the Isuzu D-Max, 4797 for the Mitsubishi Triton, and even 2690 for the GWM Cannon.
The Tasman has arrived in showrooms in stages, with the dual-cab pick-up's arrival in late June followed by the dual-cab chassis in late July or early August, ahead of the single-cab chassis due in the coming weeks.
A full line-up in dealers is likely to boost sales, particularly given many utes are sold to fleets, which usually favour low-end single-cabs, rather than the more expensive dual-cabs preferred by private buyers.
It remains to be seen if the single-cab's arrival can deliver Kia the tripling in sales it needs to hit its target.
About 2500 pre-orders had been received by the time the Tasman reached dealers, Kia Australia chief operating officer Dennis Piccoli said in July, telling Drive the most popular models were, at that time, the X-Line and X-Pro.
It is common for flagship models to account for a high percentage of sales at the start of a new model's life, before evening out as time passes.
"The [share of sales of the] X-Series [X-Line and X-Pro models], we thought, was probably going to be around the 35 [per cent mark} over the life of the product," Piccoli said.
"I'd say 65 [per cent] of the others, [that] then hinges on where the fleets land."
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
