Kia Believes It Has Addressed The Tasman’s Most Notable Flaw, Can You Spot The Difference? | Carscoops

      Kia's modifications to the design of the Tasman may be beneficial, but it still requires additional refinement.

      The painted fenders could become standard on certain variants of the Tasman.

      Kia reports that potential buyers are beginning to appreciate the pickup's unique design.

      Deliveries of the new mid-size truck are expected to commence in Australia later this year.

      If you've been browsing social media since the Kia Tasman's introduction last year, you've likely seen that the truck's appearance has generated a range of strong opinions. The prevailing view? Many people remain unconvinced by its design, although Kia asserts that public sentiment is slowly changing.

      To their credit, it seems Kia is taking the feedback to heart, as they have made an attempt to tackle one of the truck's most criticized features: the peculiar fenders.

      Reports indicate that even prior to the Tasman's reveal, spy images suggested it might include unusual black fender flares resembling odd eyebrows or peculiar mustaches. Recently, a photo shared on social media by the Kia Tasman Club features the Tasman with body-colored fenders, which significantly improves its appearance.

      The Tasman, which has yet to hit the market, was recently spotted in Tasmania with matching white arches. We wouldn’t go as far as to claim that this change makes the Kia look attractive; it doesn’t, primarily due to the awkward positioning of the headlights just ahead of the arches. Additionally, the shape of the grille and the blacked-out bumper also seems a bit odd.

      According to various reports, these paint-matched fenders might become standard on some versions of the Tasman, even though they have not been fully unveiled yet. Should this become the case, Kia would essentially be acknowledging that the black fenders did not resonate with consumers as they had hoped. This could be a positive development for customers, especially those who were immediately turned off by the black fenders.

      Discussing the truck's unconventional appearance in December, Dean Norbiato, Kia Australia's general manager of marketing, stated that locals are starting to warm up to the design after experiencing the Tasman in person.

      "You’re all aware of the discussions surrounding the launch from an aesthetic perspective, but we’re really beginning to notice a shift in the narrative regarding opinions," Norbiato mentioned.

      "As people see it and interact with it more, we are observing a divergence in opinions from the initial launch. We've conducted customer research too. We had a week-long research initiative with the Tasman, and based on the feedback, we feel confident about our overall sales volume targets for this model and its specifications – we believe we're in a favorable position," he added.