Photo: CarPix
Europe is an important market for Kia, and as crossover utility vehicles gain more attention from the public, the Sportage plays an increasingly important role in the lineup. In production since 2015, the fourth-generation Sportage prepares for the mid-cycle refresh, gaining four-point LED headlights and the most modern version of the tiger-nose front grille.
A model that demonstrates the South Korean company’s values and strengths, the compact crossover in question was mainly designed by Kia’s European studio in Frankfurt. It’s no wonder, then, the 2019 Sportage has been spotted with light camouflage doing its thing in Germany, sporting a better-looking fascia from the pre-facelift.
The ice-cube LED fog lamps are gone, in their place coming round-shaped units with chrome bezels. Moving on to the profile, it’s hard to tell the newcomer apart from the current model year of the Sportage, with the exception coming in the form of revised alloy wheels. As for the rear end, this is where you’ll notice extremely small changes brought to the taillights and a resculpted bumper with cutouts for not one, but two exhaust exits.
Opening the driver’s door will reveal an updated steering wheel and better materials here and there, as well as the latest version of the infotainment system Kia offers in Europe on models in the compact segment. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are on the menu, as is a more extensive suite of driver assistance and safety-focused functions.
The biggest “what if” regarding the 2019 Kia Sportage is under the hood. The four-cylinder turbocharged plants we know from the pre-facelift will soldier on together with the six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, though the rumor mill suggests 48-volt mild hybridization will be added to select engine choices in a bid to improve performance and fuel efficiency.
And as ever, the Euro-spec Sportage with facelift will go into production at the Zilina factory in Slovakia. The base camp for Kia’s expansion in Europe, Zilina is where the automaker also makes the Cee’d (which will soon be renamed to Ceed) and Venga (which will be replaced by the Stonic).
The ice-cube LED fog lamps are gone, in their place coming round-shaped units with chrome bezels. Moving on to the profile, it’s hard to tell the newcomer apart from the current model year of the Sportage, with the exception coming in the form of revised alloy wheels. As for the rear end, this is where you’ll notice extremely small changes brought to the taillights and a resculpted bumper with cutouts for not one, but two exhaust exits.
Opening the driver’s door will reveal an updated steering wheel and better materials here and there, as well as the latest version of the infotainment system Kia offers in Europe on models in the compact segment. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are on the menu, as is a more extensive suite of driver assistance and safety-focused functions.
The biggest “what if” regarding the 2019 Kia Sportage is under the hood. The four-cylinder turbocharged plants we know from the pre-facelift will soldier on together with the six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, though the rumor mill suggests 48-volt mild hybridization will be added to select engine choices in a bid to improve performance and fuel efficiency.
And as ever, the Euro-spec Sportage with facelift will go into production at the Zilina factory in Slovakia. The base camp for Kia’s expansion in Europe, Zilina is where the automaker also makes the Cee’d (which will soon be renamed to Ceed) and Venga (which will be replaced by the Stonic).
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