Uncharted territory: Kia’s quirky first ute touches down in NZ

By now, regular readers should be very familiar with the story of the Kia Tasman. We’ve plotted its somewhat controversial debut to the world, and we’ve driven it in its homeland. And as of late last week, we’ve also driven it on the rough-and-tumble gravel roads of New Zealand. About an hour out of Wellington overlooking the Kāpiti Coast, to be a wee bit more precise.

For those who’ve somehow escaped the Kia Tasman news cycle phenomena, this odd looking pick-up is quite a big deal. With a growing scrum of talented new utes from all sorts of brands trying to bite into the sales of the hugely popular Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Mitsubishi Triton, the Kia stands arguably the best chance of making a decent dent.

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