The Kia Tasman is tantalisingly close to launch, and has just been awarded five stars in ANCAP safety testing, date-stamped 2025.
The new utes full complement of stars matches key rivals in the segment, including the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton.
The Tasman’s five-star rating applies only to 4×4 dual cab variants at the moment, with coming 4×2 and single cab models excluded, for now.
Also worth noting that upper level Tasman X-Line and X-Pro are also considered unrated by ANCAP.
This is because S, SX, and SX+ grade Tasmans feature a unique lower valance that may look like an aerodynamic aid, but is instead for pedestrian safety compatibility.
To improve off-road ability and approach angle, the X-Line and X-Pro go without this trim piece. It is able to be removed on lower grades to install a bullbar, too.
On the whole, the Tasman’s performance was impressive, and relatively consistent, across the board with strong scores for occupant protection and safety assist.
| Kia Tasman 2025 ANCAP scores | |
|---|---|
| Adults Occupant Protection | 85% |
| Child Occupant Protection | 85% |
| Vulnerable Road User Protection | 74% |
| Safety Assist | 80% |
There were some issues noted, including in the full-width frontal impact where the driver dummy’s pelvis slipped beneath the lap section of the seatbelt, incurring a penalty.
The Tasman performed well in the frontal offset test, where the vehicle collides with a dolly. Both are travelling at 50km/h, with the dolly to simulate the test vehicle running into an oncoming car.
This was a differentiator against other popular, recently five-star rated utes where the Tasman was only demerited 2.46 points.
This is better than the BYD Shark 6, Mitsubishi Triton, GWM Cannon Alpha, JAC T9, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max, all of which are recent five-star rated cars.
Kia Tasman 2025 pricing
| Variant | Price (driveaway) |
|---|---|
| S 4×2 | $46,490 |
| S 4×4 | $53,890 |
| SX 4×4 | $58,490 |
| SX+ 4×4 | $66,490 |
| X-Line 4×4 | $70,990 |
| X-Pro 4×4 | $77,990 |