Kia leak reveals Tasman update, new Carnival, Sorento and EV7

Official Kia documents leaked in South Korea have revealed plans for a new-model onslaught, including a new-generation Sorento three-row SUV and an all-new Carnival people mover in 2028, as well as an updated and expanded Tasman ute range.

The documents also outline plans for a new electric SUV, the Kia EV7.

According to The Korean Car Blog, a document leaked from Kia’s Employment Stability Committee revealed the company’s plans across its factories in South Korea, showing significant model launches scheduled for 2028.

Kia hasn't publicly confirmed timing for any of the models mentioned in the leaked document, meaning Kia Australia is also yet to make any announcements regarding their arrival in local showrooms.

The Korean Car Blog reported the plans include an updated Tasman, with “product improvements” and more “derivative models”.

While the report suggests this may include a Tasman-based SUV, Kia senior vice president and head of global planning Spencer Cho said earlier this year that a Tasman-based ladder-frame SUV “could be an option”, but its current lineup is “big enough”.

An updated Tasman ute can’t come soon enough, however, with the 2025 launch of the brand’s Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival, backed by an elaborate marketing campaign, failing to translate into showroom success.

Between January and October 2026, only 3998 Tasmans were sold here, putting it on track for a full-year result of around 4800, well short of the brand’s launch forecast of 20,000 annual sales.

“Currently we are working on every area in which we can improve the performance of the Tasman, especially in the Australian market,” Mr Cho told CarExpert earlier this year.

“We will provide counter-measures for the coming years, and we will also have other powertrain choices if we can and also design changes or improvement or any other offerings for new features and content and technologies.”

This may include a hybrid Tasman to rival the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and BYD Shark 6, with early customer feedback suggesting a hybrid was high on potential buyers’ wish lists.

The leaked documents also revealed plans for a new Carnival, currently Australia’s best-selling people mover by a considerable margin, in 2028, including a hydrogen-powered version set for 2029.

The eight-seat Carnival range was updated in Australia last year, with a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain offered across three model grades, which are also available with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder powertrain.

A rival to the Hyundai Staria and Volkswagen ID. Buzz, a hydrogen Carnival would be the brand’s first production fuel-cell model, although sister brand Hyundai has offered the Nexo SUV to Australian fleet customers since 2021.

Toyota is the only other brand to offer hydrogen passenger cars in Australia, with its current-generation Mirai sedan available through a limited fleet lease program since 2021 and a hydrogen fuel-cell HiLux scheduled for Australia in 2028.

The current Carnival, introduced here in 2021, shares its underpinnings with the Sorento three-row SUV sold here since 2020. A new, fifth-generation Sorento is also reportedly set for 2028.

The Korean Car Blog report also said a new electric SUV, the EV7, is on the way. It’s described in the documents as a ‘mid-range’ electric SUV and, following the brand’s naming convention, would sit above the current EV6 and below the EV9 sold here.

The EV6 and EV9 currently overlap in terms of pricing in Australia, with the most expensive EV6 GT coming in at $99,865 before on-road costs and the entry-level EV9 at $97,155 before on-road costs.

Depending on its size, seating configuration and pricing, the EV7 could rival the Tesla Model Y L, which went on sale here earlier this year in a single model grade priced at $74,900 before on-road costs.

Kia Australia remains fourth on Australia’s new-vehicle sales ladder, one place behind Ford but ahead of Mazda, despite a sales decline of 4.2 per cent year-on-year.

Its best-seller is the Sportage SUV, with the Carnival its next-most popular model, ahead of the K4 hatch and sedan range.

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