Up front this all-new truck sports a face which only a mother could love.  Whereas the Borrego/Mohave gave us a toaster on wheels with a simple yet brutish appeal, the Tasman gives us that odd Military vehicle appeal.  Sure, this could work to its favour in the army, but on the public roads, this is sure to be a face which will turn heads in all the wrong ways.
​
                From the bottom up, it seems that everything just doesn’t make any sense.  Well, except for the bumper, that is one part which makes this truck seem like a truck.  The rest just adds to the military effect, but that could be because Kia’s start in trucks did come from its military presence. 

                Originally Kia was South Korea’s military product producer and with this background it just seemed like a matter of time before it would enter the truck and SUV market.  It did hit the SUV market, but without a truck by its side, its product lineup was not complete.  Now they have one and its seems that they forgot that they were making a product for consumer consumption, not the military.  Military’s only care about how a product performs, not how it looks.  Seems this was lost in translation when the designers set out to create a truck.  Sure, its better than the original Mohave concept, as it does have truck appeal.  But it is still missing a proper flow through in its design language.

                The bumper gives the front end its powerful truck look, but that is where things stop. Higher up the grille is inset with a body colour accent. This takes away from the power appeal which makes others trucks, trucks.  Chrome or blacked out grilles can make a truck, but with a small size and limited appeal, the grille on the Tasman is in dire need of change.  Growing its space and adding on some black flashing, could help this front look more aggressive.

                Higher up the hood is at a loss when it comes to its power image.  Now proper cowl makes this truck limited on aggression.  A flat flowing hood is what killed the F-150 in the mid 90’s.  Sure, it was good for the SVT Lightning, but not for a truck.  This followed onto the new Ranger, which was quickly changed to add more aggression on.  More cowl on the hood is what makes most new mid-size trucks aggressive, but the Tasman is at a loss when it comes to this aspect.

                Rolling over the front wheel you find yourself in awe as Kia did manage to hide the headlights of the Tasman.  This may seem like a great idea, but when your wheel wells are cladded over, its not.  Borrowing the extra cladding left over from GM’s failed Aztec and Avalanche, Kia has decided to bring back this trend on its first truck.  Maybe this is something which should have stayed in the early 2000’s, as plastic cladding is not something trending now.  Of course, if we change the colour of the truck, this may look good, but not in every colour.  This is a trend in the aftermarket world as oversized plastic wheel well covers are a great fit, but only when they go with oversized tires.  Not when it’s a base model truck.
​
                This trend continues along the bottom and top of the Tasman, as Kia has added on more of this cheap plastic cladding to the rocker panels, window edges and the roof rails.  We all need to keep the lower portion of our trucks safe from the outdoors, but when they don’t blend with the wheel wells or even come with step rails, then we start to run into problems.  Some clear flow through from the rocker panels to the wheel wells can improve the overall flow and appeal of a vehicle.  But it seems Kia has decided to run with a multiple time zone layout instead.

                Time zones are great for our transportation network, but not for our designs.  Having multiple time zones when it comes to our accents, makes any vehicle look incomplete.  Flow is what is required to make a vehicle look whole.  Without this, all we have is a set of multiple time zones working against each other.

                Kia did mange to give us an active looking tire and rim combo, but only on select models.  On our base, we get the same old, boring, bland, rims from Kia’s CUV lineup.  A set of rims may look good on a grocery getting CUV, but trucks need to be the leader of the pack when it comes to all aspects, and when you add on aspects from your other products, then all you have is a follower, not a leader.

                Out back is where Kia put on their big boy pants and took a look at the truck market.  Here is where they added the only aspects which gave this truck any decent points when it came to its rating.  Adding on an oversized inset logo to the rear gives the appeal that this truck means business.  Add to this an oversized Tasman name, and you won’t wonder what this is and who makes it.
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                Kia managed to make their mark on the rear, but can it keep going from there?  They almost did, when it came to the bumper and lights, but they may still have some issues to work out.

                The bumper runs with the time zone theme, as it comes in three parts.  Two (2) sides break off from the side body moldings, which does show us where the bumper is and one of the best features on this truck.  Using a page from GM, Kia has added on bumper steps to make it easy to get product out of the box.  Great, but when the main bumper has been cut off from the sides, we may have a few issues setting in.  Without a proper flow from the edge of the steps, down to the bumper another time zone is created.  We get it that this was needed to keep a clear spacing for the tailgate, but without a proper flow through, its overall image is at a loss.

                Higher up the lights do add on some aggression to the rear, but with its 3D appeal and odd layout, these lights are a far cry from making a proper statement.  We can say that they do run with the theme of the Tasman and nearly run the same layout as the well cladding.

                Two parts which Kia could have made some minor adjustments too, are the tailgate top and rear window.  The window is a nice touch with a wraparound look, but this could pose a problem for those who don’t add a back rack to the box.  And it would be cause for an oversized repair bill if it was damaged.  Ever wonder why most trucks have simple flat windows!

                As for the top of the tailgate, the addition of a half-sized spoiler was not a good fit for this or any truck.  Who really cares about aerodynamics when you’re towing or hauling.  Sure, we all love to save on fuel, but when you sacrifice the appeal of a truck for this, then you’re not making a truck, you’re making a CUT (crossover utility truck).

​                Overall, the Tasman is a worthwhile truck from a manufacture who has been at the forefront of change over the last decade.  But without any proper follow through and some borrowed appeal from the Jeep Gladiator and Kia Mohave, this new truck may find a place in the market.  And if it is like the rest of Kia’s lineup, its price will sway consumers minds away from its obscure design and appeal.  We do look forward to the aftermarket worlds take on this, as we wait for the GT and GT Line along with any great features from SEMA.
 
Everett J.
#autolooks

​COMPETITION:
Audi Q2 - 50.91%
Lexus LBX - 49.30%
Volvo EX30 - 48.74%
Zeekr X - 61.98%

                 Up front you may find the overly aggressive front end found on both the new Tacoma and Tundra, but from their the 4Runner seems to take over a bit.  Adding in an oversized from bumper to protect you from the elements, Toyota has given us what we require, but not in a way which truly blends with the rest of the front.  Maybe toning down the size of blending in the edges could help this area out in the looks department.

                 As with other TRD products, the new 4Runner front does include the staple bush lights and oversized skid plate.  But only one fits the part of this design refresh, as the lights may not have been the right choice in the layout and placement department.  Some touch ups are required here, as the centre flood light needs to rethink its approach.  But as for the skid plate, all is good in this hood.  And speaking of the hood, its hard edges are properly cowled to give us that rugged appeal we all want from a true 4x4.

              Sliding down the side we find ourselves staring at an overused portion of excess plastic.  Seems Toyota thought that cheap and easy to replace plastic would be a good fit here.  It does work well, but not on every colour of the rainbow.  A bit better blending in here would help it better protect the outcome of the looks of this side profile. 

             Rugged good looks are still the rage here, as Toyota has spared no expense in making the new 4Runner look the part of a true 4X4.  A few hard character lines will give you the illusion that this utility vehicle is rugged even when it sits still.  Although a few are a bit too much, as they don’t flow properly with the side, they still give us that image of greatness the 4Runner has come to eschew.
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           One great thing along the side of the new 4Runner, was the wrap over rear windows which take us back to the late 80’s when we all first fell in love with this model.  Maybe its true that a bit of retro is good on a few new products.  For Toyota’s sake, this is true, as this feature really brings back the past while giving us something were proud of for the future.

               Out back Toyota has given us back what we all have become accustomed to, as the rear of this all-new vehicle is not much different than its predecessor.  Hard lines and multiple time zones are still present here and this past design character is not boding well for this future product.  Maybe Toyota should have put more time and effort into making the rear look all new, rather than adding on some new lights to the previous products.  Sure, these are some nice-looking lights, but we can still see a decade old rear back here.

                Added to this was a new oversized rear spoiler which overshadows most of the upper portion of this design.  While the addition of more plastic protection is added above the hatch access.  Maybe a rear tire mount on the rear would have brought this true off roader, up to the same standards as products from the aftermarket world.  This addition would have taken away from the standard rear and really made the Trailhunter a true 4X4 for the world market.  Guess we will have to add this feature on ourselves.
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              As with most of everything else with the rear of this product, the aluminum accent bumper is a step into the right direction.  But its follow through could have been better done if it moved with the rear, rather than separating itself out from it.  But hey, maybe this is where our spare tire is supposed to go.

                   Overall, the Trailhunter 4Runner is put together correctly, with enough attitude, hard edges and easy to replace scratch covers you can handle.  But if we are being honest with ourselves, the aggressive looks are well played to make this seem like it’s a rough and rugged adventure product, but overall, its just a few added features put onto your standard product.  At least the TRD models give us that performance aspect.

                All around this new addition to the 4Runner stable is a welcomed sight, as it does give us most of what we require to go further into the woods.  Easier to clean wheels and protection accents give us that go anywhere without noticing how bad we got stuck look.  Now if they could just give us a spare tire mounted to the hatch and an integrated exhaust and we would be ahead of the pack.
 
Everett J.
#autolooks

​​COMPETITION:
Ford Bronco Raptor - 57.17%
Ford Everest Tremor - 49.30%
Mitsubishi Pajero GSR - 58.69%
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 - 57.26%

​                Moving up the automotive food chain is never an easy thing to do, but if you are like VW or Toyota, you know its possible, and now it seems that BYD wants to do this as well.  Even without a major presence in North America, BYD still has plans to become one of the worlds largest automakers and to do this you need a pickup truck.  And if you know the Chinese market, you know that people are starting to move up into trucks and utility vehicles, as the consumer market wants to explore the back woods.  So naturally a truck was something that BYD had to do.  But did they do it right.  Let’s see.

                Similar to the biggest players in the market, big is the focus up front as the logo, headlights and skid plate are some of the largest features here.  You really can’t look at the front without seeing who makes it, as BYD has prominently displayed their name proudly across the front grille.  But without a large chrome surface surrounding it, this is feature is all lost in a sea of body colour, where it should stand proud in the centre of either a black or chrome grille.  This could be where the aftermarket industry needs to step in a fix this issue.

                Finding your way will never be an issue when your lights are on, as both the main headlight fixture and band running light are large enough to light up the world.  Although they do have a simple design which plays off of the F-150’s lights, they do blend well with their surroundings. 

              But all is lost when you need help in the fog, as those lights are tucked away inside the bumper cladding.  Hidden from your main sightline, the fog lights are all too small to make any difference in the fog.  Extending them the entire space as the accent which surrounds the light fixture, would make this space run inline with the upper lights and give you enough light to see your way through the fog.
​
               BYD has hidden their main bumper fixture behind a sea of aluminum. But this aluminum feature has a point when it comes to protection.  Skid plates make all the difference when your off roading, and the Shark makes good use of this feature.  It may be on the larger side, but it does keep the size of the bumper down, reducing the amount of flat plastic which resides on the front end.

              Clean simple lines are what BYD is all about and the Shark is nothing out of the ordinary. Low sightline character lines give us the appeal of broad shoulders, without having them overshadow the appeal of the side profile.  We all want to see a truck with a bit of power appeal behind it and it seems that BYD has succeeded here with their low sight character lines.

              As with the shoulder line, the window lines appear to blend from front to rear as well.  With accents and base lines giving us the appeal of a wrap around window.  This is not true, but the colouring does trick your eyes into believing its true.  Adding a floating roofline to a truck is not new, but BYD does it well.

               BYD did a great choice on their rim design and colours, choosing both a design which will be easy to clean and one which does not play too hard on the low scratch resistance steel surface.  A touch of dark grey helps to break up what could have been a sea of steel and it adds a bit of sport appeal to this mid-size truck.  Well, done BYD.
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               Added to the great rim design, BYD added on a few extras we all need as well and with the aftermarket industry non-existent in their home market, these products have to be added at the factory.  Roof rails and a rear light bar add on to what was already great about this truck.  And being able to add on some bush lights or put your kayak on top, really helps with our adventure side of life.

                   As the side may be the party place where BYD did almost everything right, the rear is where things start to sour.  Attempting to emulate the large wrap around lights from the front, the rear tail lights have nothing to offer us, but heartache.  An all too dark accent trim, improperly laid out character insets and an all too simple layout makes these the most basic lights we’ve seen on a truck.  And most trucks have pretty basic lights.

                 Similar to the front, BYD again made us all aware of who makes this truck, as they have stamped their name into the tailgate.  This is a trend which was big for a long time, but disappear in the 2000’s.  We are glad everyone has decided to bring this feature back and it seems BYD learned from the best, as their size and placement is spot on.  Now if you can do away with the lower Ford tailgate inset, and we will start to see this as a BYD truck, not a Ranger wannabe.
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             One great thing that BYD did do back here was perfectly blend in the rear bumper.  With a lack of space between the bumper and rear of the truck the bumper really seems to move with the design.  This is something we love about this truck, as most companies just slap a bumper on and call it a day.  We only ask if you could add some steps so we can get into the box easier.  Thank you.

                          BYD has come a long way in the past twenty years and it seems that there is slowing them down.  Surpassing Tesla in EV sales just shows you how strong this company is and where they are planning to go in the future.  And now with the addition of a pickup truck, BYD has nearly completed their product lineup.

                Overall, the Shark is a decent truck which will make its presence heard.  Although it borrows heavily from the Ford stable in a few key aspects, it still has looks to take on the marketplace and win.  With a profile which may give it an image of something different, in truth the overall appeal of this truck is similar to its competitors.  An image which says I’m a truck from far away, but doesn’t give us much more compared to the rest of the field.  This may be a Shark which will hang out with the gang, as its design is not strong enough to bite through the marketplace.
 
Everett J.
#autolooks

                Up front the Crown adds on to what they already had going for them, but with some aspects required for off road conditions.  An improved front lip makes trekking into the deep woods easier as you won’t have to worry to much about damaging your lights or lower intake.  Of course all is not good, as the lower lip gives way to the oversized and out of sync main front intake. 

                All too much plastic material, an odd pattern and its size, make the front intake a bit out of place.  Talk about an oversized pouty lip, this intake makes the Crown look like its mad to be going off road.  But again, it was originally a premium city going sedan and now you’re covering it in mud.  A slight reduction in the top protrusion would help this area blend in a bit better, along with some accents to break up this oversized world.

                Toyota did manage to keep the clean lines from the original Crowns light fixture.  But this time they gave them some flat plastic to help with scratches you get from the bush.  This could help the front end retain some of that premium feel from the original car.

                Rolling over the oversized wheel well covers, we find ourselves gazing upon the sign of Zorro.  Seems Toyota wanted to join the “Mark of Zorro” fan club, as they have utilized his mark for their side character lines.  Doing away with the upper body line would take care of this mark and help to create a rolling surface which is more incline with a premium sedan.

                Overuse of flat plastic is a common occurrence in the cross-trek marketplace, but red mud-flaps are not.  A poor choice of colour from Toyota, as both their size and colour take away from overall appeal.  We get it, you need these to keep mud from building up under your car and in your wheel well, but they could have blended them in better with their surroundings.  Of course, their surroundings are not better, as the all too flat fender flares don’t blend well with the smooth lines of the original car.  Guess the aftermarket industry will be needed here to fix this issue.

                We did like the rolling lines on the side of the Landscape, as they kept with the original feel of the Crown.  This stays true on the windows as Toyota didn’t think to add on any window flares.  Maybe that was a good thing, as they would have ruined the overall appeal of this side profile.

                Out back we get a taste of why you really want this car to be covered in mud.  A all to large for this world, rear accent gives anyone the illusion that your trunk has been added on after the fact.  Guess the designers have never seen multi colored panels on a car before, as we know this was a thing highly seen in the economy world.

                Toyota has made it easy to find your car though, as they have added an extra pair of reflectors to the rear of this car.  This could help after you cover up that god awful truck accent.  And they blend in nicely with the lower cladding, as the flat plastic rises up into the plate location.  We did also like the accent line for this space, as it deters you from seeing the full extent of the flat plastic used.

                From the rear we do see that those odd-looking mud-flaps carry the Crowns own logo.  This is a nice feature, but we have to ask if they are embedded or just painted, as paint will wear quick with mud and sand wear.
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                We do find it nice that Toyota did make it easy for us to hook up a trailer.  Adding in a dedicated space for a hitch really adds on what a true trekking model requires.  The ability to bring along a small trailer as you head off into the woods.  Now we have a true soft-roader, which is fully capable of traversing the back roads with what you truly need.

                Toyota has done a decent job on taking a premium sedan and giving us something we never knew we wanted.  Soft-roading is growing in popularity and with more of us wanting to explore the back woods, it may just be the right time to do this in a premium product who can still appeal to our city going lifestyle.
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                Besides an overuse of flat plastic (something expected from cross-trek models), the Crown Landscape is a decent way to do a soft-road sedan.  We would just ask to bring in a few spots and do away with the gloss black accent on the rear.  Let’s make this a true premium sedan by day and soft-roader by night.  Oh, and Toyota, you should change the colour of the mudflaps too.
 
Everett J.
#autolooks

​​COMPETITION:
Volvo S60 Cross Country - 59.87%
Qoros 3 GT - 39.13%
Citroen C5 X-Hypnos - 53.59%
Polestar 2 - 48.04%

​​​COMPETITION:
Kia Stinger - 61.24%
Hyundai Grandeaur - 53.86%
Volkswagen Phaeton D2 - 52.17%
Toyota Crown - 60.61%

Complete list for all of the 2025 rated vehicles from the Green Power segment.
​Products on this page are alternate power source models from an existing product.

​Product Size

​2025 iEV Z - EV - 49.58%
2025 Citroen Ami - EV - 44.25%
2025 Geparda Geparda - EV - 44.14%
2025 Bako Bee - EV - 39.21%

​2025 Byd Sealion 05 - PHEV - 53.58%
2024 Chery Fengyun A8 - PHEV - 49.42%
2025 Porsche Panamera e-Hybrid - HY - 49.64%

​2024 Volkswagen Golf eHybrid - HY - 52.13%

​2024 Volkswagen Passat Variant EV - EV - 49.16%

​2025 Ford Puma - EV - 51.34%

2025 Citroen e-C3 Aircross - PHEV - 49.83%
2025 Alfa Romeo Junior (Milano) hybrid - HY - 59.26%

2025 Hyundai Tucson - HY/PHEV - 57.97%
2025 Honda CR-V - FCEV - 50.21%
2025 MG ZS - HY - 49.62%

2025 Chevrolet Equinox Plus - PHEV - 54.80%
2024 Chery Fengyun T9 - PHEV - 47.44%
2025 Omoda 7 - PHEV - 46.62%

2025 Mazda CX-70 - PHEV - 60.57%
2024 Chery Fulwin T10 - PHEV - 52.09%
2025 Lynk and Co. 09 EM-P - PHEV - 51.86%

​2025 Changan Uni-Z - PHEV - 62.00%
2025 Aeolus L7 - PHEV - 56.76%

​2025 Tank 300 Hi4T - HY - 39.81%
2025 Jetour Traveller C-DM - PHEV - 54.68%
2025 Haval Raptor Hi4 - HY - 49.05%

​2024 Ford Tourneo Connect - PHEV - 51.90%

​2025 Ford Ranger Stromtrack - PHEV - 54.55%

​Product Size

​2025 Toyota Corolla Altis HEV GR Sport - ICE - 57.38%
2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI - ICE - 56.81%
2024 Toyota Corolla Active Sport - ICE - 48.45%
2025 Audi S3 - ICE - 52.06%
​
2024 Skoda Octavia Sportline - ICE - 53.81%
2025 Toyota Camry XSE - ICE - 52.27%

2025 Genesis G80 Sport - ICE - 55.17%

2025 Rolls Royce Ghost Series II Black Badge - ICE - 52.78%

2025 Hyundai i30 Fastback N-Line - ICE - 50.87%
2025 BMW i4 M50 xDrive - EV - 55.77%

​2025 Tata Altroz Racer - ICE - 51.26%
2025 Fiat Argo Endurance - ICE - 47.53%
2024 Hyundai i20 N-Line - ICE - 46.16%
2025 BMW M1 - ICE - 46.60%
​
2025 Byd Seal 06 GT - EV - 63.08%
2024 Cupra Born VZ - EV - 58.87%
2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport - ICE - 57.86%
2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI - ICE - 56.21%
2024 Volkswagen Golf GTE - EV - 53.78%
2024 Chevrolet Onix RS - ICE - 52.26%
2025 Honda Civic RS - ICE - 51.79%
2025 Hyundai i30 N-Line - ICE - 49.45%
2024 Volkswagen iD.3 GTX - EV - 48.02%
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N-Line - EV - 39.01%

2024 Mini Cooper S - ICE - 47.00%
2025 Mini Cooper S EV - EV - 45.18%
2025 Audi S3 Sportback - ICE - 52.22%

2024 Volkswagen Golf Variant R-Line - ICE - 55.06%
2024 Toyota Corolla Touring Active Sport - ICE - 51.01%
2025 Hyundai i30 Tourer N-Line - ICE - 49.82%

2025 Hozon Auto Neta S Hunting Edition - EV - 57.05%
2024 Skoda Octavia Combi Sportline - ICE - 54.82%
2025 Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer GTX - EV - 49.08%

2024 Volkswagen Amarok Pan Americana - ICE - 57.38%
2025 Chevrolet S10 Z71 - ICE - 56.83%
2024 Toyota Hilux Revo Rocco - ICE - 56.32%
2025 Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R - ICE - 55.22%
2024 Chevrolet Colorado Trailboss - ICE - 51.47%
2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally - ICE - 61.56%

2024 Chevrolet Montana Turbo - ICE - 50.83%
2024 Fiat Strada Turbo - ICE - 43.36%
2025 Ford Maverick Lobo - ICE - 40.10%
2025 Ford Maverick Tremor - ICE - 37.95%
2024 Ford Maverick Tremor - ICE - 37.75%

2025 Mini Aceman S - ICE - 43.81%

2025 Skoda Elroq RF - EV - 59.02%
2025 Renault Captur Esprit Alpine - HY - 53.60%
2025 Ford Puma ST - ICE - 51.41%
2024 Hyundai Kona N-Line - ICE - 49.96%
2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Modellista - ICE - 49.73%
2025 Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus Sport - ICE - 49.18%
2025 Hyundai Creta N-Line - ICE - 46.44%
2024 Lexus LBX Morizo RR - ICE - 57.51%

2025 Hyundai Tucson N-Line - ICE - 53.60%
2025 Volkswagen Tiguan R - ICE - 53.09%
2024 Volkswagen Tiguan L Pro R - ICE - 47.44%
2025 Subaru Forester Sport - ICE - 46.59%
2025 BMW X3 M Performance Parts - ICE - 49.87%
2025 BMW X3M - ICE - 45.40%
2024 Porsche Macan Turbo - EV - 43.29%

2025 Skoda Kodiaq RS - ICE - 62.93%
2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS - ICE - 57.94%
2025 Volkswagen Tayron R - PHEV - 54.30%
2025 Ford Equator Sport - ICE - 46.06%
2025 Acura MDX Type S - ICE - 56.02%
2024 Acura MDX Type S - ICE - 55.95%
2025 Audi SQ6 e-Tron - EV - 54.22%
2025 Audi SQ5 - ICE - 50.40%
​
2025 Ford Explorer ST - ICE - 52.35%
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 - EV - 49.03%
2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line - EV - 40.68%
2025 Buick Enclave GT - ICE - 54.24%
2024 Audi Q7 TFSI e-Quattro - ICE - 54.79%
2025 Audi SQ7 - ICE - 54.38%

​2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line - EV - 61.93%
2025 Audi SQ5 Sportback - ICE - 59.12%
2025 Audi SQ6 Sportback e-Tron - EV - 46.03%

2025 Fang Cheng Bao Titanium 3 - EV - 61.36%
2025 iCar 03t - EV - 53.28%
2025 Jeep Commander Blackhawk - ICE - 55.23%
2025 Ford Expedition Tremor - ICE - 44.59%

2024 Honda Freed Sport - ICE - 38.85%
2025 Volkswagen iD.Buzz GTX - EV - 47.50%

​2025 BMW M2 - ICE - 51.85%
2025 BMW M4 Coupe - ICE - 52.45%

​2025 BMW M4 Convertible - ICE - 52.42%