Stinger-powered Kia Tasman twin-turbo petrol V6 ute unlikely as Ranger Raptor rival
Strapping Kia Stinger V6 power to the upcoming Tasman ute – as a Ford Ranger Raptor rival – could come at a significant cost to Kia, under upcoming Australian emissions rules.
A high-performance version of the upcoming 2025 Kia Tasman ute is looking increasingly unlikely, as CO2 emissions standards for new vehicles loom in Australia.
The Hyundai group has an arsenal of high-power twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engines in its global stable – including the defunct Kia Stinger's 3.3-litre engine – that could theoretically create a formidable Ford Ranger Raptor rival.
While a faster Tasman has previously been on Kia Australia's wish list, it may incur substantial penalties under Australia's upcoming New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), due next year.
Car companies will be allowed to continue selling high-emissions vehicles that exceed NVES targets but they will be faced with hefty fines if they cannot offset them with 'credits', earned by selling low or zero-emission cars that meet the targets.
Asked if the South Korean car giant is tempted to add a twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Tasman to compete with the Ranger Raptor, Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith told Drive: "Not yet. To make it succinct."
Kia Australia general manager of product and training, Roland Rivero, added: "I know I’ve heard various colleagues of yours say “it’s easy just stick the Stinger engine in it and off you go, you’re off to a winner".
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"It may not work well when the [emissions] penalties for that one product – which could be less than 20 per cent of the mix – are substantial.
"We’ve got to balance the necessities with the desires and wants."
The illustration at the top of this story – created by Drive graphic artist Theottle – imagines what a Raptor-fighting Tasman could look like.
Two turbo-petrol V6 engines are produced by the Hyundai Motor Group: an older 274kW/510Nm 3.3-litre unit used in few models, and a newer 279kW/530Nm 3.5-litre mill in a range of Genesis vehicles.
The regular version of the Kia Tasman ute – due in Australian showrooms in mid-2025 – is expected to be powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with outputs similar to the 150kW/500Nm of rivals.
A turbo-diesel six-cylinder engine is effectively off the table as the two candidates available within the Hyundai Motor Group – a 3.0-litre V6 and 3.0-litre inline-six – are both in the process of being axed.
It remains to be seen if a four-cylinder diesel Kia Tasman will be in the black under the new emissions rules – or will accrue fines from Day One, which Kia hybrid and electric cars must offset – let alone a high-performance petrol V6 version.
Asked if the engine in the Kia Tasman will be familiar, Mr Rivero said:
"I will try to answer this as diplomatically as possible. The brand is moving towards electrification and as time progresses investment into internal combustion starts to diminish.
"Commercially, as a brand, you’ve really got to think: do you start all over again [with a new engine], in light of where the future is headed? Do not be surprised if it’s a familiar powertrain."
Kia Australia believes it can meet the needs of most dual-cab ute buyers – and match the class benchmarks on payload, towing, and safety – with a four-cylinder diesel engine.
"There are competitors that have been doing it for five decades, we have to get the fundamentals right with our first pick-up," Mr Rivero told Drive.
"We’ve been vocal to HQ about non-negotiables: a five-star ANCAP safety rating, 3.5-tonne towing capacity, and over a tonne payload.
"To us, we have to hit these fundamentals first and foremost. [If] you hit those fundamentals, you’re in 80-plus per cent of the market."
The Kia Tasman is named after the sea between Australia and New Zealand – as well as the Australian state of Tasmania – with much of its development work to be conducted in Australia.
Australia has had a significant role in the planning and specifications of the new ute, and the South Korean car giant has set its sights on the top sellers in the dual-cab ute class – including the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
The Tasman is expected to be larger than its ute rivals. Teaser images of a camouflaged prototype have allowed artists including Theottle to create clear illustrations of what it is expected to look like.
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