Kia Motors has revealed its facelifted Sportage, which gains a handful of styling tweaks (inside and out) as well as an updated engine line-up.
Key styling changes include fresh front and rear bumpers, as well as redesigned headlamps and tail-lamps. The Korean automaker will also offer new 16-, 17- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs.
New options (in Europe, at least) will include chrome sill trim and metallic skid-plates, along with five fresh paint colours. GT Line models will be fitted with a gloss black radiator grille, a gloss black and silver skid-plate, and dark chrome inserts on the side sills and tailgate.
Inside, you’ll find a new steering wheel and a revised instrument cluster, as well as updated black-and-grey upholstery. GT Line models, meanwhile, will be offered in Europe with black-and-grey two-tone leather seats or optional black leather with red accents. European customers furthermore have the choice of Kia’s latest infotainment systems: a 7,0-inch touchscreen and frameless 8,0-inch arrangement.
So, what about engines? Well, the headline act is Kia’s new “EcoDynamics+” 2,0-litre “R” diesel mild-hybrid powertrain. This system supplements acceleration with power from a 48-volt battery, and extends engine “off time” with a new mild-hybrid starter-generator unit.
Interestingly, the existing 1,7-litre CRDi diesel engine has been replaced in Europe with a new 1,6-litre “U3” CRDi unit, which Kia describes as the brand’s “cleanest diesel engine” ever. This new oil-burner will be offered in 85 kW and 100 kW guises, with the higher-powered models available with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
We’ve asked Kia Motors South Africa when the updated Sportage is expected to arrive on local shores, and will update this story once we hear back…
[UPDATE: Kia Motors South Africa says it is working towards launching the updated Sportage either late in the third quarter or earlier in the fourth quarter of 2018.]
