After electric vehicles, competition between Korea and China is heating up in the pickup truck market as well. Kia has begun targeting Australia and the Middle East with its first pickup model, the Tasman, while China's BYD is countering with the Shark 6 (Shark), a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) pickup.
According to the industry on the 2nd, Kia is recently focusing on boosting Tasman sales in the Australian market. While domestic sales and overall exports of the Tasman are showing a solid trend, there are notes that sales in Australia, one of its key markets, are not rising as expected.
Kia's Australian subsidiary is selling the Tasman's upper trim (X Line) at a discount of about 3,000 Australian dollars (about 3 million won). It is also offering the Sports Pack option, which includes various accessories until inventory runs out, for free. Previously, buyers had to pay 3,791 Australian dollars (about 3.74 million won).
Australia is the world's No. 2 pickup market after North America, with more than 200,000 units sold annually. Pickups are so popular that the Ford Ranger from the United States and the Toyota Hilux from Japan vie for first and second place in overall vehicle sales. Kia aims to capture the No. 2 market share in Australia with the Tasman.
Kia launched the Tasman in the Australian market in Jul. and sold a total of 2,262 units over about three months through Sep. If the current trend continues, some say it may be difficult to reach the first-year sales target of 10,000 units. Next year's sales target is set at 20,000 units. This contrasts with expectations of a hit after securing more than 20,000 preorders before launch.
While the Tasman is underperforming expectations, BYD's Shark is posting better results than the Tasman. BYD launched the PHEV pickup Shark in Australia at the end of Oct. last year, and cumulative sales reached 14,111 units through last month. Over the same period, it accounted for the highest share (37.2%) among BYD models sold in Australia.
According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), Shark ranked fifth last month with sales of 1,193 units. The Tasman ranked ninth with 806 units. No. 1 was the Toyota Hilux (5,047 units), No. 2 was the Ford Ranger (4,867 units), and the Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton, in third and fourth, sold 1,989 and 1,733 units, respectively.
The biggest difference between the Tasman and the Shark is the engine. The Tasman is equipped with a diesel engine, while the Shark is a hybrid that combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor. Peak output is 207–210 horsepower for the Tasman and 321 kilowatts (kW), or about 430 horsepower, for the Shark. Maximum towing capacity is better on the Tasman (3.5t) than the Shark (2.5t). Priced as a single trim, the Shark starts at 57,900 Australian dollars (about 54.5 million won), while Kia offers a wider range from 42,990 Australian dollars to 74,990 Australian dollars (about 40.45 million–70.57 million won), depending on trim.
Kia is rolling out the Tasman overseas with a focus on emerging markets. Following Australia and New Zealand, it has launched in the Middle East and Africa and is planning exports to South America. It is also considering hybrid or electric versions in the future.