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KIA Just Crashed the Bakkie Party - KIA Springfield Has the Keys

KIA Just Crashed the Bakkie Party - KIA Springfield Has the Keys

Author: By Tomas Yoko
Date: 2026-04-30

The Kia Tasman has arrived at KIA Springfield, and it isn't tiptoeing in. This purpose-built double cab, developed from the ground up specifically for markets like ours, is Kia's boldest statement yet that they are done playing it safe. The bakkie segment has a serious new contender, and it showed up looking absolutely ready for a fight.

The numbers alone demand respect. A 2.2-litre SmartStream turbodiesel producing 154kW and 440Nm, paired to a smooth 8-speed automatic. Ground clearance of 252mm, wading depth of 800mm, and approach angles that would make a mountain goat nervous. Towing capacity of 3,500kg and over a tonne of payload. This is not a lifestyle prop dressed as a bakkie. This is the real thing.

Inside, Kia has brought their passenger car refinement fully into the cab with a 12.3-inch digital cluster, full infotainment integration, wireless connectivity and a suite of driver assistance technology that genuinely impresses. It is the kind of cabin that makes you want to find reasons to drive further.

Six derivatives span the range from the LX 4x2 workhorse right up to the flagship X-Pro 4x4, giving every buyer a Tasman shaped exactly for their life and their budget.

Here is the thing though. Reading about the Tasman only gets you so far. The moment you drop into that seat, grip the wheel and feel what 440Nm of torque actually means in the real world, the conversation changes completely.

Kia Springfield Durban has them. They are waiting. And so is a test drive that might just change your mind about everything you thought you knew about Korean bakkies.

Go. Drive it. Thank us later. Their showroom is at 47 Intersite Avenue, Springfield. Call them on 031822 8950.