2023 Kia Sportage Redesign, Release Date, Specs, & Photos. Sportage has begun testing in South Korea under heavy camouflage. However, the black tarpaulin that coats every square inch of bodywork didn’t stop local artist AtchaCars from giving us this fascinating preview.
The current generation Sportage already has a new Gravity trim. Pictured here, the latest taste of the compact crossover gets an assortment of dark exterior design accents in the same vein that Mohave Gravity launched earlier this year. If you prefer to wait for the entirely new Sportage, this fifth-generation model will be expected to debut in April 2021.
The new report published by The Korean Car Blog comes about two weeks after the world premiere of Kia Sportage’s cousin, the revamped Hyundai Tucson.
While the latter now looks bolder than ever, it’s unclear at this point who is setting the direction his platform-sharing siblings will take. It was spotted recently while undergoing testing, but heavy camouflage blocked the view.
After seeing Futuron’s striking crossover concept last November, we wanted to find out if some of its design properties would have correspondents on the new compact crossover.
Some rumors have been flying about 2023 Kia Sportage, especially since the camouflaged ride has been spotted– and the images have been revealed here and there. Kia has always tried their hard to eliminate the idea and perception of their products being ‘boring’, so they come up with strong punch with the redesigned models of Telluride and K5 sedan. After the news about the redesigned Sportage– in addition to the realistic renderings and spy shots– it is safe to say that the upcoming Sportage would be completely different from the current design.
There has been a picture of Sportage in orange– together with the three-quarter view on the front. It looks exactly similar to the rendering picture of the ride, together with the LED running lamps and headlight clusters in angular design– somewhat similar to the new K5 Kia. However, the newest rendering image even has more aggressive front design, visible from the mesh grille look. There is also Kia logo (a brand new one!) On the hood.
On the side, you can see the defined haunches on the rear with rising (and increasing) beltline that are responsible for the bold and aggressive styling. There is also a combination of C-pillar slimmer construction that is similar to the current model. The grille may seem too much, but if Kia manages to reduce its ‘strength’ a bit, it would make a beautiful new Sportage.
2023 Kia Sportage Redesign
Digital images are made from spy photos, so it should give us a fairly accurate look at the Sportage 2023 design. Inspiration was drawn from Optima’s replacement, the new K5 sedan, which lent its soft curves to the profile. The front end receives a large intake and some sharp LED lights, features that resemble the Urus.
The obvious differences between this and the exit model include a curved roof, a door-mounted mirror, and a coupe-like rear. Code-named NQ5, this new Sportage model should be based on the same platform as Tucson, making it slightly larger than before.
This new generation will come up with the code name “NQ5” and reportedly adopt a fresh design that can be previewed by the concept. That should come as no surprise considering Hyundai did the same with the new Tucson by launching the Vision T in November 2019 before coming out with a production model on September 14.
It is believed Kia should push back the car’s launch and engineer the model with a two-wheeled axis distance configuration, with the LWB model serving a market where rear legroom is a priority. Logic tells us a lot of oily bits will be sourced from the new Tucson, so expect a turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol and diesel engine with front-drive and all wheels and mild-hybrid technology.
Hyundai offers a revamped model’s six-speed manual transmission and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and plans to sell a plug-in hybrid with 1.6-liter electrification that delivers a combined 261 horsepower.
2023 Kia Sportage Powertrain
Powertrains will depend on where you live. The European model will utilize a 1.6-liter turbo, which will also be available on hybrid models. We’ve seen many models in this segment drop their diesel engines, and Kia could do the same for the sake of its emissions.
Over in America, the standard engine for the 2023 Sportage should be a new four-cylinder 2.5-liter with direct injection that provides an estimated 190 horsepower and 182 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque. An 8-speed automatic should be standard, while an AWD would be an option. We can also expect a Sportage GT with turbocharged output in a 250-300 hp ballpark. However, it is much further down the line.
Engine and Performance
For the new 2023 Kia Sportage, many auto enthusiasts are hoping that it somehow will share similar arrangement as Hyundai 2023 Tucson. If it does, then Sportage will come with gas Smartstream engine with 2.5 liter capacity as well as the gas turbocharged engine with 1.6 liter capacity, matched along the electric motor. The last one would produce 226 hp of power and 258 Nm of torque– but these are the outputs in Tucson. The engine will be paired with both front wheel driving system as well as all wheel driving system. With such arrangements, the Sportage is expected to deliver smooth driving experience which would be better than ever.
Awaiting Further Reveal
Kia hasn’t revealed further detailed information about the Sportage. Aside from the images of the rendering design and some prototype pictures in camo, there hasn’t much information to dig about the ride.
There have been several rumors about the possibility of electric engine, because Tucson has the hybrid plug-in engine. It would be featuring four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 1.6 liter capacity that is paired up with 67kW of electric motor, producing 195kW of power and 350 Nm of torque. The certainty about the electric power is unclear– and we can’t expect Kia to have the same arrangement for Sportage as they do for the Tucson.
Price and availability
haven’t been clear either. The price range hasn’t been known just yet, but the Sportage should be being available in April 2021– if everything goes as scheduled. The 2023 Kia Sportage should be ready soon enough in very late 2021 or very early of 2023.