We still don’t know if the Kia Sportage will be offered in the Philippines. The latest generation, introduced in 2021, has been a hit in its home market and in Europe, but it’s strangely been absent in most Southeast Asian markets.
As we wonder whether it’s coming to the region or not, it appears that Kia is preparing the launch of the newest version. It’s a shadowy teaser for now, but it does show rather radical changes to its body.
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We noticed that Kia said ‘new’ instead of ‘all-new.’ That suggests that the 2025 model could be a heavy update of the current generation rather than a totally redesigned vehicle. With that, we could expect a look similar to more recent offerings such as the facelifted Carnival and Sorento.
At the front, there’s the T-shaped headlights and a glimpse of its reshaped grille. The body panels appear similar to the soon to be outgoing model, but the tail light clusters have been changed. It’s possible that the tailgate gets a bit of a refresh, too.
There are no interior photos for now, but there could be a major overhaul inside. Expect a new infotainment system lifted from other recently updated and redesigned Kia models in the lineup.
Engines are likely to be carried over from before. It’s a mix of turbocharged gas and diesels, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. All-wheel drive is available for most variants, and it’s also worth pointing out that the Kia Sportage comes in both short and long-wheelbase body types.
With that, could this be the Sportage that will be offered in Southeast Asia? That will all depend on the local distributor, of course. But given that the compact crossover market is a steady and solid segment, Kia Philippines could be considering it.
