It’s here, people. The all-new Sportage that Kia teased a while back is officially out in the open, and it’s looking pretty damn good.
It’s an overhaul, all right, as the entire front end has been completely reworked. It now features a very aggressive-looking front fascia with sporty boomerang-shaped DRLs. These are wrapped around stylish headlamps that flank a large tiger-nose grille.
It appears no exterior bits from the outgoing model have been retained, as even the front bumper is now completely new. There’s also the new Kia logo embossed on the hood.
It’s the same story out back, which boasts a more macho look overall with interestingly shaped taillights and a much beefier, more elaborate-looking rear bumper. On the sides, you’ll see new plastic trim on the doors and the C-pillars, and those sharp-looking wheels.
Frankly, from whichever angle you look at it, this doesn’t look like the current Sportage’s successor at all, which should be a good sign for Kia. This next-generation compact SUV is built on the Korean carmaker’s new ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, which will also influence all future Kia designs.
It feels like an even bigger overhaul inside the cabin. Apart from the new steering wheel sporting the new Kia logo as well as all those leather and soft-touch materials plastered around the interior, there’s an entirely new dashboard architecture.
There’s an absolutely massive display here that appears to integrate both the instrument cluster and the infotainment system, and this is flanked by the striking new A/C vents .
Speaking of A/C, there are new controls found on the center console. There still are knobs to adjust the air-conditioning, but you won’t see any levers if you move further down the middle. What you’ll find are the push-to-start ignition button, the electronic parking brake, and the shift-by-wire transmission dial all placed in one glossy panel.
The Sportage’s global market launch is expected to happen later this year, and Kia says more details—such as on the powertrain and the extra features—will be made available as we move closer to said launch. We’ll bring you more as we have them, so watch this space. For now, tell us your first impressions of the all-new Kia Sportage’s design: Do you like what you’ve seen so far?
