Behind the wheel: Amelia
The Kia Tasman marks a bold new chapter for Kia entering the competitive ute market with confidence. It’s an impressive vehicle. It’s big, bold and beautiful (depending on who you ask).
I’ll admit, I was a little unsure about the design at first, but it grew on me. A lot. I had the pleasure of driving the top-of-the-line dual cab model in Denim Blue, and she was an absolute beaut!
A ute with all the practicality you'd expect, yet it felt more like an SUV on the road. There’s no doubt about it - it’s a head-turner.
From the moment you get in, the interior grabs your attention. The panoramic dual 12.3-inch screens for the infotainment system are a standout, seamlessly integrating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Kia’s mix of touchscreen and tactile physical buttons strikes a great balance — modern tech meets rugged usability.
To prep for my big drive across the border to Renmark, SA, a solid 7½-hour journey, I did what any sensible driver would do: I changed the interior lighting to pink. It was the perfect mood-setter to get into the right headspace for the road ahead. *Queue voice assist* play Levitating by Dua Lipa.
Off we went to another family wedding. I wouldn’t dare tackle such a long drive solo, but with four of us in the spacious dual cab — plus all our luggage and wedding supplies — the Tasman handled it with ease.
The tray was a standout feature. Spacious and practical, it made packing a breeze. The Tasman tray measures around 1500mm in length depending on the model and whether a tub liner is fitted.
Some practical highlights we appreciated:
Since we were driving an evaluation model, we didn’t have all the optional extras. But if you're planning to carry anything sensitive to weather – like we did – a tray cover is more than a nice-to-have, it’s a must.
The long drive across Victoria into South Australia was tiring, but the Tasman’s driver assistance features made a real difference. From Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) to Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring (a lifesaver in a vehicle this size), and Lane Keep Assist, it was all there.
One feature I always appreciate, and loved in the Kia EV9 too, is Lane Change Assist. Flick the indicator and the car handles the lane change for you, under responsible supervision of course.
We made a few stops along the way:
Bendigo: A quick stretch and coffee break before heading further northwest.
Bridgewater Bakery: A must-stop for treats. It’s located in Bridgewater and absolutely worth the detour.
Sea Lake: To admire the vast salt lake and the beautifully painted silos.
At every stop, someone came up to ask about the ute, including the border patrol officer checking for fruit flies.
The Tasman turned out to be our secret weapon. From running errands and picking up flowers, to powering the esky via the rear power outlet until the site was fully set up, it was unexpectedly useful throughout the day. It kept saving the day in small but meaningful ways as we got everything ready. And yes, it even came through during a hair emergency. A country wedding with no power and a straightener situation? No worries. I plugged mine into the internal power socket in the back seat and got the job done. Glorious.
From pack-up to pack-down, the four of us piled back into the ute for the long journey home. One tank of diesel got us the full 712km back — no refills needed.
We know the Tasman can handle big adventures, from highways to off-road tracks. But we also wanted to see how it performed in the suburbs.
Driving through inner-city North Melbourne, heading to the local Bunnings and helping my brother with a few back-and-forth trips through Brunswick, the Tasman didn’t disappoint. Tools, timber, plants — we got it all in one load. We even used the tray as a workbench, plugging in a circular saw to cut timber right there in the driveway without needing an extension cord from the house.
A few of my favourite things
Power outlets: I think I’ve made it clear this was the unsung hero. A feature I didn’t know I needed until I really needed it.
Fold-out console table in the cabin: Maybe not essential for me, but super handy if you’re a contractor or someone who works on the go. Or, as I like to think of it — a mobile cheese board.
3D surround camera: More entertaining than anything. All the camera features were genuinely helpful for driving and reversing such a large vehicle, but the 3D mode was the cutest. It replicates the ute as a little model in your surroundings — like a tiny out-of-body car experience.
And if you don’t take my word for it — I’m not your everyday ute driver — my dad loved it. That might not mean much to you, but it should. He’s a tradie through and through and after taking him for a spin and letting him inspect every feature, his verdict was: “They’ve thought of everything.”
