The Kia Tasman is perceived as so unattractive that even Kia's own AI-generated image has everyone excited about a potential redesign.

      Kia

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      Kia may not yet offer a pickup truck in the U.S. like its sister company, Hyundai. However, in Australia, it sells the Tasman, a midsize truck built on a ladder frame. It seems to be underperforming in sales, despite Australians having a penchant for trucks similar to Americans. It's safe to say that the Tasman is not the most aesthetically pleasing vehicle ever created, making a redesign a possibility. An AI-generated image from Kia has sparked rumors that the company might be hastening a redesign, but an executive has firmly denied this claim.

      “If there are any rumors or any implication that we are going to expedite a PE [product enhancement] or a facelift, that is completely incorrect,” Roland Rivero, Kia’s chief of product planning for the region, stated to Australia's Drive (unaffiliated). “As usual, a facelift would align with the milestones of the product lifecycle plan, and there’s no fast-tracking involved.”

      The image that sparked the rumors is evidently AI-generated. It has a blurry quality that resembles something realistic but lacks clarity, particularly noticeable in the unclear tire labels. The trees in the background are also quite fuzzy, giving the whole image a painterly appearance. These images were first shared on an official Kia website in South Korea, which may explain their higher level of credibility than typical renders.

      Comparing one of the Tasman AI renders on the left with the more complex, blockier actual truck on the right. Kia

      Another consideration is that emergency redesigns do occur in the automotive industry, despite Rivero's comments. A well-known recent example is the Chevrolet Camaro, which underwent a widely criticized redesign in 2019 that was swiftly rectified the following year in 2020. The 2019 alteration gave the sports car an unattractive front end more akin to Chevy's trucks, featuring a prominently centered bowtie. It was an unappealing look, and the brand wisely opted to respond.

      I don’t reside in a place where I can observe Tasmans on the roads, but the truck’s exterior also seems to need a reevaluation. The prominent hood, excessive black trim, and the unusual integration of the headlights into the fenders make it distinctive, though not necessarily for the right reasons. Recently, Kia's design philosophy appears focused on provoking a reaction, whether good or bad. While the Tasman achieves that, once you grow accustomed to the design, its true nature becomes apparent—and sadly, the Tasman is quite unattractive.

      Regardless, Kia must find a way to improve sales. “What we definitely know is that customers who have bought a Tasman are very positive about their purchase and highly recommend it,” Rivero remarked. “We just need to have more of them.”

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