The refreshed 2020 Kia Sportage made its debut in the Windy City, boasting a bold new look, a new S trim, more convenience and available driver-assist features, and a standard 8-inch touchscreen for LX, S and EX variants. Following the introduction of the upcoming Telluride, Kia's largest SUV, the Sportage appeals to those who don't need or want the space of a larger vehicle but place a high value on Kia's cutting-edge design, available AWD capability and convenience. Set to go on sale in the first half of 2019.

Euro-focused Design

The design language around Kia Sportage has always been distinctly European and the 2020 model carries on the tradition. From the first pencil stroke it was meant to convey the kind of presence associated with sweeping, thought-provoking curves and an equally aggressive stance. The significant exterior design changes for 2020 include:

• New headlights with available LED turn indicators
• Redesigned projector-beam fog lights
• Available LED headlights with available LED fog lights
• New front grille, bumper, air intake and skid plate
• Newly designed 17-, 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels
• Redesigned rear bumper and skid plate
• New exhaust tip design
• Redesigned tail light trim
• A new metallic Steel Grey exterior color

The 2020 Sportage interior design is lightly enhanced and includes:

• New available SOFINO leatherette seating surfaces
• Standard 8-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available modem-enabled telematics, and available navigation
• Newly designed steering wheel and vent bezels
• Available smartphone wireless charging tray

Engineered for Confident Capability

Along with the new S trim, Kia Sportage is offered in LX, EX and SX variants in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Two engines are available: a 2.4-liter GDI producing 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. or torque or a 2.0-liter turbo GDI that's good for up to 2409 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. New to the Kia Sportage are a number of available driver assist features:

• Driver Attention Warning
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Smart Cruise Control with Start & Stop
• Forward Collision Assist with pedestrian detection
• High beam assist

Kia has been steadily revamping its entire lineup, and it comes practically full circle with the newly unveiled Kia Sportage. It replaces the aging little crossover and is a serious departure from the short and bulbous-looking outgoing generation.

Up front, the Sportage picks up some angry, angular headlights and running lights. They're integrated in a fascia-spanning grille. The sides have more glass that visually lengthens the Sportage. It's possible that it actually is longer, but we won't know until Kia releases specifications. The rear again has full-width taillights, though this time they echo those of the EV6.

The inside is just as big a departure as the outside. It features two big screens for instruments and infotainment in a single black frame. Air vents are geometric and spread across the dashboard. And on the photos of the press car, it appears there are more colors and higher-quality materials in use than the somewhat black and plasticky current model.

Kia hasn't released details on powertrain, pricing or size. They should come later in the year when the crossover goes on sale. It will also be available in normal designs as well as a slightly more rugged looking X-Line variant.

Though we've already seen the 2023 Kia Sportage a couple of times before, the compact SUV's U.S. specifications are finally being revealed with its North American introduction today. Certainly not all of its details are clear yet, as the company is holding on to a few for later, but we now know more about its size, base engine and trim levels.

There isn't much else to say about the design that we haven't said before. But it is significantly larger than its predecessor. It's 7.1 inches longer and has a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase. That pays dividends with rear legroom as well as cargo space. Rear legroom expands from 38.2 inches to 41.3, and behind the rear seats, the Sportage now holds 39.6 cubic feet of stuff. The previous model had 30.7 cubic feet of space. The interior also is fully redesigned with an en vogue dual-screen dash, which can have two 12.3-inch screens. Cloth seats are standard on the base LX, while EX and above trims get leatherette.



That brings us to what trim levels will be available. LX is the entry point followed by EX, SX, SX Prestige, X-Line, X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige. The latter three are new to the Sportage lineup and have a more rugged and off-road-oriented look courtesy of different front and rear bumper designs, satin chrome and gloss black trim, raised roof rails and "tread-like" interior stitching. They also all get standard all-wheel drive, which adds 1.5 inches of ground clearance, as on all all-wheel-drive Sportage models. The X-Line gets 19-inch alloy wheels with normal road tires, but the X-Pro models get 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. The X-Pro also gets LED fog lights, heated windshield and washer nozzles and variable drive modes. The X-Pro Prestige adds ventilated front seats, power passenger seat and LED projector headlights. A two-tone roof is optional, too.



The other big news is Kia gave some details on the Sportage's base engine. Instead of one of the turbocharged engines we speculated it would have, it gets a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder. It's a tad larger than the 2.4-liter unit in the old Sportage and is estimated to make 187 horsepower, just six more than the old engine. But instead of a six-speed automatic transmission, it will be paired with a new eight-speed unit. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available. This won't be the only engine offered, though. Kia has confirmed a hybrid and some other engine will be available. We're betting some kind of turbo engine will be available.

The 2023 Kia Sportage goes on sale early next year, and we'll surely have additional details on things like the other engines and pricing before then. Most versions of the compact SUV will also be built at Kia's factory in Georgia.

The 2023 Kia Sportage lineup has expanded once again with the reveal of the plug-in hybrid variant. It features an estimated 32 miles of electric range, but that's not all. It also gets standard all-wheel drive and is the most powerful Sportage option.

The Sportage PHEV gets a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder rated at 177 horsepower, plus a 66.9-kw electric motor. These are the same specs as the powertrain in the larger Sorento PHEV, so we suspect the combined output is the same: 261 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. That's a little more than 30 horsepower over the regular Sportage hybrid.

The engine is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. This is the only configuration available for the PHEV.

As mentioned, electric range is estimated to be 32 miles from the 13.8-kWh battery pack. Kia also estimates that a full charge can be obtained in two hours on a Level 2 charger. Full EPA fuel-economy numbers haven't been announced yet.

The Sportage PHEV is also only available in X-Line trims (regular X-Line and X-Line Prestige), which come with more off-road oriented body work, satin chrome accents and gloss-black alloy wheels. The hybrid SUV goes on sale in the third quarter of this year. Pricing has not yet been announced, but we would expect it to be the most expensive version of the Sportage.