The renewal of Kia's lineup continues and this time, the next generation of the Sportage SUV was presented by the Korean automaker. In North America, the model will debut as a 2023 vintage when it does arrive next year.
Recall that Kia teased the new Sportage last week, and confirmed it plans to market that edition globally for the 2022 model-year. It's not the first time we've seen this staggered approach, in fact we saw it just recently with the Carnival, the new generation of which debuted elsewhere before arriving here.
In any event, aesthetically, there's a marked break in styling, which is welcomed. Why? Because while the outgoing Sportage’s design was certainly distinct, it was also polarizing. The new model is going to appeal to a wider audience, it’s safe to say.
Up front, the Sportage sports aggressive, angular headlights and running lights, integrated into a grille that spans the entire width of the vehicle. The beltline is very steep at the rear, which suggests there could be problems with rear three-quarter visibility. The back end is once again equipped with lights that extend the vehicle’s width and are notably similar to those of the upcoming electric model, the EV6.
As for the dimensions, we'll have to wait before we can make precise comparisons, since Kia hasn't revealed any details about the new Sportage to accompany the new images.
On board, the modernization effort is just as apparent and wide-ranging. There are two large screens for the instruments and the multimedia system, all integrated inside a single black frame. The ventilation nozzles are geometric and spread out over the dashboard. Their effect is frankly spectacular.
As for the rest, we'll have to wait to find out what's going to fit under the hood. We do know that an X-Line variant is in the plans, just like with the new Sorento.
We'll be back with more information on the Sportage when the company makes a more complete presentation.
