Kia Tasman Highway Review: Roadtrip Ready or Not?

Ethan and I surged north up the M1 in the  Kia Tasman Pro-X, two-up and luggage-heavy, bound for The Cottages. No one volunteered for the rear pews. Casper, Max, Raffy, and Charlie followed in Raffy’s Polestar 4, the sharp electric Swede looking improbably elegant next to Kia’s very deliberate attempt at rugged masculinity.

The Tasman swallowed the Christmas haul without complaint—boxes of booze, bags, books, and the assorted clutter that marks a proper escape from Sydney. The Polestar simply couldn’t compete on volume. We rotated the boys through the Tasman cabin with promises of Champagne and chocolate, while I stayed put, having un-silenced the warning bongs specifically to see which of the boys would crack first.

The speed signs were clocked instantly, and like clockwork, each boy lunged for the ‘Star’ button, already programmed to land on the offending menu to kill the noise. Kia can blame Euro NCAP all it likes—intrusive bongs remain irritating, distracting, and deeply unhelpful.

Both cars were eventually parked beneath freshly built carports bristling with solar panels, backed by battery banks and water tanks. The Cottages are now almost off-grid and smug about it. Hunter greeted us with “Nine Virgins.” Spirits lifted, eyebrows arched, then promptly fell when they turned out to be cocktail aperitifs—beautifully mixed, ice-cold, and utterly devoid of cocks. We drank them anyway, quietly grieving the road not taken.

Around the firepit, the Tasman specification sheet became the centre of animated debate as steak sandwiches appeared like conjuring tricks.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review –BYD Shark 6 Review: Why Hilux & Ranger Should Be Worried

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ABOVE: Kia Tasman Pro-X (plus Tasman S centre console – see old-school gear shifter VS Pro-X column Shifter)

Ethan: “Christ on a cracker, it’s ugly. And there’s meant to be a storage cubby hidden in the wheel-arch moulding—except it’s not there. Ripped off. I do love the triple-screen dashboard, but the rear seats are brutally tight. Anyone with non-twink legs or a decent set of calves is going to struggle. That part feels badly thought out.”

Casper: “Love the cabin, loathe the exterior. I simply couldn’t live with that face—it’s Gorgon-like. The sound system absolutely bangs, though the infotainment feels like it’s getting slower with every new model.”

Hunter: “I took it for a lap and loved the ride—super smooth. But the numbers matter. With a 3.5-tonne tow rating and a 6.2-tonne GCM, your payload disappears fast with five adults aboard. Especially if they’re… generously built. Entirely hypothetical, obviously.”

Max: “I’m a farm boy, so I’m used to noisy equipment. The 2.2-litre diesel promises plenty, but at low speed, it can feel like a stroppy cow. The cabin is nicely chunky, though—I’d just keep drunk mates away from the vent knobs. They look fragile.”

Raffy: “The diesel feels old-school, but the steering is excellent. Highway Assist is moody, and lane control wanders like a drunk uncle getting handsy at Christmas. I turned the auto-steering off and instantly felt better.”

Charlie: “I loved it. It’s so weird that it’s a silent theft deterrent—no one is going to steal this from Bunnings. But you’ll need incentives to get more than one adult into those back seats.”

Alan’s Verdict: The Australian tuning is the star here; ride and handling are excellent. However, 154kW/440Nm feels just sufficient; merging into M1 traffic requires planning. At $77,990 drive-away, the lack of a Head-Up Display is a hard pill to swallow, especially when the BYD Shark 6 costs less ($62k), is a PHEV, and offers vastly better rear legroom. Kia aimed for the Ranger and HiLux crowd, but they might have misread the room. It’s too “unusual” for the hardcore tradies and not tech-forward enough for Gen Z. One rare occasion where Kia’s market instinct has faltered.

Top Saucy Minx Comments – The Boys Edition

• Ethan: “I’d ride shotgun for those triple screens any day—just don’t make me sit in the back with my non-twink legs.”
• Casper: “Exterior’s a crime, but I might forgive it for a long drive and chilled Champagne.”
• Hunter: “The suspension whispered sweet nothings to my spine. Also, ‘Nine Virgins’: a tragic, yet delicious disappointment.”
• Max: “The engine grumbles like it wants to fight, and honestly? I’m kind of into it.”
• Raffy: “The steering is firm, but my mind was on five boys in a cabin that could barely contain them. Hypothetically.”
• Charlie: “It’s a bad boy that knows it’s weird and doesn’t care if you blink.”
• Alan: “Solid ride, but I’m still fantasising about the Shark 6 in the driveway—smoother, shinier, and more tempting.”

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