Kia Sportage Hybrid confirmed for Australia

April, 2024: Sportage Hybrid on sale in Australia

Kia has finally introduced a petrol-electric version of its Sportage midsized SUV to compete with the all-conquering Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

March: Sportage Hybrid confirmed

Kia Australia has confirmed it will add a hybrid option to its popular Sportage mid-sized SUV range.

Set to join the line-up early in 2024, it will be the third hybrid product to join the Kia roster, behind the smaller Niro Hybrid and the larger Sorento Hybrid. The news follows confirmation of local interest, around this time last year.

However, don’t expect it to dominate the Sportage line-up in the same way the Toyota RAV4 has leaned into hybrid power across its range.

“We’ll add another powertrain to the Sportage and we expect to start selling it in Q1 next year,” Kia Australia’s GM of product planning and training, Roland Rivero, said at a press briefing this week.

He confirmed that while supply will be more plentiful than that of the Sorento Hybrid, it won’t exceed a couple of hundred units a month, against sales of around 1200-1300 per month.

For reference, the Sportage currently sits fifth overall in the VFACTS sales chart, behind rivals that include the closely related Hyundai Tucson and the evergreen Mazda CX-5.

The Sportage Hybrid powertrain will mimic that of the Niro Hybrid, with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine linked to an electric motor on the front axle, supplemented by a small 5.5Ah battery that can only be recharged by the petrol engine, not a plug.

A six-speed automatic transmission, meanwhile, will send drive through the front axle.

2

While final specs are yet to be confirmed, the new powertrain is likely to be offered on the two higher grades of Sportage, the SX+ and GT-Line.

Sourced from Korea, the Sportage Hybrid will retain the same longer wheelbase that’s offered on the petrol and diesel variants. A shorter wheelbase variant is available in overseas markets, but is not likely to be offered here.

And while the Sportage is set to gain a hybrid, Rivero confirmed that the smaller Seltos SUV – which has just received a mid-life refresh – will not score battery-electric assistance within its current lifecycle.