Kia’s new Sportage is now open for orders in petrol and hybrid guise following a major mid-life makeover.

A best-seller for the brand, and a firm favourite among UK SUV buyers, the Sportage gets a bold new look, more technology and a streamlined grade line-up.

First to arrive are the petrol and hybrid editions, priced from £30,885 and £34,425 respectively. These are offered with a choice of three trim levels, down from four: Pure, GT-Line and GT-Line S.

The pure petrol features a 150hp 1.6-litre turbocharged direct injection engine solely available in front-wheel-drive form and with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, with the manual solely available on the entry-level Pure variant.

The full hybrid uses the same engine but incorporates an 87hp electric motor to boost power to 238hp – compared to 229hp for the outgoing model. It’s fed by a 1.49kWh battery pack and mated to an updated six-speed automatic transmission. Both front- and all-wheel-drive versions are available, the latter on the GT-Line S specification. HEV models also get a new regenerative braking system, plus a real-time hybrid data centre on the central infotainment screen.

Importantly, both the Sportage HEV and PHEV – due later this year – will now be available for the lead-in Pure version, not just on higher grades, reducing the entry price.

Further information and technical information on the new Sportage PHEV will be announced later in 2025. The new Sportage will not be offered with a diesel powertrain in the UK.

The facelifted Sportage also gains a new-look exterior with significant front and rear design enhancements that align it with the brand’s other current models.

The interior comes with Kia’s new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (CCNC), featuring dual 12.3-inch curved panoramic displays. Pure and GT-Line models get a 4.3-inch driver display. The centre console gets a new brushed-effect finish and there’s an updated two-spoke steering wheel design, akin to that of the EV3 and new EV6, with plenty of physical buttons and rolling switches. New technologies include the aforementioned display screens with integrated CCNC, AI chat assistant powered by ChatGPT, a customisable head-up display on GT-Line S models and Digital Key 2.0 technology. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the line-up. Drivers can also choose from an array of entertainment packages, allowing customers to access Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, casual games and other services via the main infotainment screen when stationary, costing a monthly subscription fee depending on chosen package.

The current-generation Sportage is the first to be offered in a dedicated Europe-only version with a shortened wheelbase and the new edition continues to offer a spacious interior and flexible cargo capacity, with more than one metre of rear legroom for passengers in the second row. Boot space is up to 587 litres, and a maximum of 1,776 litres with the second-row seats folded. The hybrid is available with a dual-level boot floor too.

First customer deliveries of the new Sportage start later in Q3 2025.

New Sportage summary

Drivetrains

Pricing