If you paid attention to cars in the 1990s, you likely remember that the Toyota 4Runner used to be just another SUV. Its rivals included the Isuzu Rodeo (which spawned the first two generations of the Honda Passport), the Nissan Pathfinder, and the Ford Explorer. Fast-forward to 2025, and the 4Runner is pretty much in a class of one, as its main rivals have all shifted to unibody construction. That could soon change: Kia is looking at turning the new Tasman pickup into a rugged family hauler by the end of the decade.
Graeme Gambold, an engineer for Kia’s Australian division, told website CarSales (which shares unconfirmed renders of the vehicle in question) that the Tasman-based SUV is “three years down the track.” This strongly suggests that the model is more of a “when” than an “if,” and reading between the lines seemingly indicates that development work has already started. On paper, it’s a relatively easy project: Turning the Tasman into an SUV requires topping the frame with a new body.
If launched on the Australian market, the yet-unnamed model would compete head-to-head against the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, which is sold as the Land Cruiser on our shores, and the Ford Everest, which is based on the Ranger. Globally, this positioning would also place the hypothetical Tasman-based SUV into the same segment as the 4Runner. Whether it would be sold in the United States is up in the air. Kia won’t offer the Tasman truck here for a wide panoply of reasons, including regulatory constraints, but launching a go-anywhere body-on-frame SUV could make a lot more sense. We’d argue that the market is there.
Some of Gambold’s colleagues weren’t as trigger-happy about the prospect of a new SUV, however.
“If [the] Tasman is a success, then it will open many doors, so let’s get Tasman right first. Once we get that right, then we can go from there,” clarified Dean Norbiato, the head of marketing for Kia’s Australian arm.
We’re split. On one hand, Gambold may have simply meant that turning the Tasman into an alternative to the 4Runner and the Everest would take approximately three years, assuming the SUV receives the green light for production. On the other hand, Norbiato might have provided context as a subtle way of saying “yikes, we’re not supposed to announce that yet.” Time will tell who takes the next shot at the 4Runner.
If done right, a Kia-branded body-on-frame SUV would work. Rugged sells; Just look at the growing list of off-road and off-road-inspired trim levels available on the American market. Subaru puts the Wilderness badge on the Forester and the Outback, among others. The new Toyota RAV4 range already includes a Woodland trim with off-roader-esque styling cues, and the latest Honda Passport puts an unprecedented focus on off-road capability. Kia could one-up many of its rivals with a Tasman-based SUV designed for more hardcore off-roading than the typical family SUV, which rides on a car-derived unibody architecture.
There’s a body-on-frame SUV-sized spot in Kia’s global range even if you take the American market out of the equation. Australian buyers love SUVs almost as much as they like trucks, so they’d likely welcome a more family-oriented alternative to the Tasman with open arms. Building a second model on the Tasman architecture would also allow Kia to reap the rewards of economies of scale. As of writing, the platform is exclusively found under the truck, and it doesn’t sound like sister brand Hyundai is interested in using it.
Two words: Kia Borrego. They tried a BOF SUV here already. And NOBODY remembers it. 2008-09 was a hard time to sell anything. I remember my neighbor flipped out and traded in his Ram 2500 on 2 identical base model Civics. $4 gas made everyone lose their mind!
Eugene Levy wants his eyebrows back .