Kia dual-cab ute to arrive in 2025

A new ad campaign has confirmed Kia’s move into the Australian dual-cab ute market.

Today, Kia has officially announced its entry into Australia’s top-selling vehicle category currently dominated by the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.A Kia dual-cab ute has long been reported to be forthcoming and the Korean carmaker has enlisted a host of Australian sporting legends in a playful ad campaign to spruik its release.

The much-anticipated vehicle is set to be unveiled in late 2024 and deliveries to customers are expected sometime in 2025. Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer, Damien Meredith says, “Kia Australia has always been very candid about our desire to bring a light commercial vehicle to the local market, so it is with great excitement that we are taking an important step towards it becoming a reality.

“We are now officially taking expressions of interest on the Kia Australia website, for both private and fleet customers, and we invite all ute-loving Australians to sign up and join us on the journey.”

The TV commercial coinciding with the announcement features 20 iconic Australian sports stars, including tennis champion Ash Barty, cricket legends Steve Waugh and David Boon, AFL’s Buddy Franklin and wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott. They appear in a classic Aussie pub setting (filmed at Bondi Junction’s Nelson Hotel, for any pub aficionados out there) discussing what they think the new ute should be named.

Though the new ute’s name still isn’t confirmed, the cat seems to have been out of the bag for a while now. It has been widely speculated in the motoring press to be the Kia Tasman and the new advertisement hints this is indeed the case in various ‘Easter eggs’ placed for eagle-eyed observers. This includes at the 57 second mark in the video where a dart is seen landing on a map showing the Tasman Sea.

While there are still no technical details officially released about the ute, Kia says the vehicle has undergone extensive ride and handling development over thousands of kilometres in Australian conditions. It has also been reported that a diesel engine ute will be the first to be available and an electric version will follow.

You can view the new Kia ute TV commercial here.