Us Malaysians may still be awaiting the latest Kia Sportage, but in Korea the fifth-generation C-segment SUV is already getting a facelift. It’s quite a timely one, coming three years after it was revealed globally, and as far as revisions go, this is quite a big one.
The Sportage’s outlandish design has certainly divided opinion, with the most controversial part being its front end with its diamond-shaped headlights, large arrow-shaped daytime running lights and massive grille. Even through these shadowy teaser images, it’s clear that Kia is attempting to walk back on some of the more radical design cues, bringing the car more in line with the rest of its lineup.
The most evident of these changes are the headlights, which are vertical and incorporate Kia’s constellation-inspired Star Map DRLs, similar to the EV9 and K4. This redesign should make the still-enormous grille (with the “tiger nose” insert up top) a little easier to swallow.
At the rear, the tweaks are more subtle, with the revised taillight graphics being the only observable change, although a redesigned rear bumper should also feature. This being a modern Kia facelift, you can also expect far-reaching updates to the interior – including perhaps a new dashboard, as was also fitted to the new Sorento – to keep things fresh.
The facelifted Sportage should carry over the same powertrain options as before, albeit with a few tweaks. The car is currently offered with 1.6 litre petrol and 2.0 litre diesel turbocharged engines, along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
The fifth-gen Sportage has long been earmarked for the Malaysian market – news of its impending arrival surfaced as early as late 2021 with an expected 2023 launch. In July, it was reported that the car was still coming, and in CKD form too, but nothing has come out of that since.
It remains to be seen whether the car will be offered here in pre-facelift form first – hopefully distributor Bermaz will instead go straight to the facelift version from the get-go, given that it’s supposed to be the brand’s volume seller here.
GALLERY: Fifth-generation Kia Sportage, pre-facelift
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