Kia’s most popular SUV, the Sportage, will launch an all-generation this year. Here is the first look at what we can expect.
Kia has officially released the first few images of the new Sportage SUV which is scheduled for a full reveal this July.
The new model will lob into a contested segment full of contenders such as the Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander (due for a new generation itself), and Hyundai Tucson.
Visually, the new model looks to take a little inspiration from the Kia EV6 flagship electric crossover, using the Korean car maker’s contemporary ‘Opposites United’ design language with an “assertive and cutting-edge presence”.
The fifth-generation to arrive in almost 30 years of sales for the traditionally five-seat SUV, the new Sportage will also see a comprehensive overhaul inside the cabin, with Kia showing us a glimpse of the new curved twin-screen display with a new steering wheel (and itself with the new Kia logo), and a similarly ‘cutting edge’ dash design. The screens are likely twin 10.25-inch displays, with the driver’s display potentially growing up to 12.3-inches across. Expect Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and potentially wirelessly connected, too.
“Taking inspiration from an ethos we created where nature meets technology, the all-new Sportage challenges the norm with an adventurous and contemporary exterior and a carefully conceived, beautifully detailed interior,” said Kia’s Head of Global Design Center, Karim Habib.
“With the all-new Sportage, we were fully focused on challenging ourselves and pushing our fifth-generation SUV to a new level.”
Up front, the new Sportage shows a large ‘Tiger Nose’ grille that has become synonymous with the brand’s identity, but now with a more bulked-up side profile. C-shaped LED running lights flank the nose and at the rear there are more C-shaped LED lights and a full LED strip connecting each taillight.
Sitting underneath the new Sportage is a version of Hyundai’s new Tucson platform, which we’ve already tested. Options available for drivetrains include hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, though it remains to be seen what Kia Australia will specify in local models.
It is also possible a sportier Kia Sportage version will come after the initial launch, with the new Tucson sibling already set up for tuning by Hyundai’s N Division.
