NEW-LOOK KIA SPORTAGE

Full specification and details have been announced for UK version of company's big-selling mid-size SUV

- Jordan Katsianis

KIA'S plan to stay on top of the UK's sales charts is showing no sign of letting up, with a significant update of its top-selling Sportage SUV having now been revealed in full UK specification. More than 124,000 examples of the current-generation Sportage have found homes in the UK since its 2022 launch, with the car often topping monthly SUV sales figures, and on one or two occasions even sitting on top of the overall UK sales chart. That means it's a critically important car for the Korean brand.

The new model doesn't re-write the rulebook, but it will be launched with an updated selection of electrified powertrains that Kia already knows customers will love, paired with a slick new interior and exterior design. The manufacturer will continue to only offer the Sportage in its Euro-centric short-wheelbase form – Sportage models in the domestic Korean, American and Australasian markets actually feature a longer wheelbase and slightly different D-pillar design.

To help simplify the buying process, Kia will launch the Sportage in a new range of trims, defined by three clear lines, called Pure, GT-Line and GT-Line S. Each of these includes a range of powertrains made up from petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrids, with automatic, manual, front and all-wheel drive on offer.

Every Sportage features the same styling upgrades, starting with a new exterior design inspired by Kia's more eccentric EV models. This includes a set of new, more vertical LED headlights with stylised 'star-point' daytime running lights that bleed into the grille. GT-Line models then feature a blockier lower bumper graphic with integrated foglights. The rear lights are the same shape as before, but they now feature a new all-LED inner with star-point graphics. Under these sits a restyled bumper, with GT-Line models once again receiving chunkier design features.