Kia plans a North American midsize pickup launch by 2030.
Truck strategy includes battery-electric and range-extender powertrain options.
Tasman timing coincides with Hyundai’s midsize truck plans.
Kia says it will enter the North American pickup market with a midsize truck by 2030, adding a new vehicle type to bolster its plan centred on higher U.S. sales and a larger market share. This coincides with Hyundai’s plans to launch its own pickup based on the Boulder concept introduces at the recent New York Auto Show.
Kia outlined the truck program during its April 9 CEO Investor Day, where CEO Ho Sung Song said they are targeting 1.02 million annual U.S. sales and a 6.2% market share by 2030. That would be up about 20% from 852,155 U.S. deliveries in 2025, when Kia held a 5.2% share. Kia delivered 94,622 new vehicles in Canada in 2025, 9.2% boost over 2024, or a just over 5% market share.
Kia said the body-on-frame pickup will combine interior room with towing and off-road capability. The company also signalled a flexible electrified powertrain mix, with battery-electric and range-extender variants planned.
The Tasman will place Kia on course to challenge the core midsize pickup field in North America, where the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado remain major nameplates. Depending on launch timing and configuration, the program will likely overlap with Hyundai’s pickup plans, meaning the South Koreans will overnight have two offerings in the increasingly popular segment.
Kia Debuts Tasman Pickup with Versatile Design and Advanced Technology
The midsize truck segment is expected to continue to grow with long-awaited introductions from Ram, not to mention EV players from Scout and others.
Kia expects the truck to generate 90,000 annual sales in North America by 2034, equivalent to 7% of the midsize pickup segment. The truck plan builds on the Tasman, Kia’s first pickup, introduced in 2024 for markets outside North America.
The pickup is one element of its developing electrification strategy for North America. Kia plans to increase its hybrid lineup from four to eight nameplates. It also expects stronger utility-vehicle volume, with the Sportage targeted to surpass 200,000 annual U.S. sales and the Telluride positioned for growth, with 180,000 units of production capacity. The Seltos is also expected to reach 100,000 annual U.S. sales by 2030.
Source: Automotive News
