The Kia Sportage will be going full hybrid when the next-gen model arrives in 2027. According to South Korea’s business and information technology news publication, ETNews, the current fourth-generation Sportage will be dropping all of its internal combustion engine-only models in favor of two gas-electric hybrid variants, one non-plugin and one plug-in type.
The current Sportage debuted back in 2021 in the Korean Domestic Market and didn’t arrive until 2022 as a 2023 model-year car in America. That means, by the time the next-gen model arrives in Korea in 2027, it’ll be around six years old, which is about the average production series lifecycle for the Sportage.
Kia’s Continuing To Expand Its Hybrid Offerings
While the latest news update from ETNews likely speaks for the arrival of the Korean-market Sportage, it means that America’s Sportage will probably follow a year later in 2028. Kia and its corporate parent, Hyundai, both typically reveal and launch new vehicles in its home market a year ahead of the export models, like North American versions.
Additionally, current Kias are global models and are nearly identical between markets, other than being either left-hand or right-hand drive, and the odd tuning tweaks for differnt audiences. So, the Sportage Korea gets will likely be the Sportage North America gets, except without an interior labeled in Korean and some other small optional extras. Such is the case with today’s and previous generation Sportages.
Hybrid To Become A Standard Offering
According to the report, the entire Sportage lineup will feature gas-electric hybrid powertrains. Currently, the Sportage in base form comes with a standard gas engine, with the choice of either an optional mid-range regular hybrid, and a
as the top-spec trim.
With the new model coming in 2027, Kia plans to ditch that sole base engine option and offer hybrids only. This is a part of Kia’s latest hybrid model expansion as the company recently committed to offering more hybrid models to become more competitive with some of its rivals.
The Next-Gen Sportage Will Reportedly Boast Up To 62 Miles Of All-Electric Range
Development of the next-gen Sportage, reportedly dubbed “NQ6,” is currently underway featuring new battery and electric drive technology. The new tech aims to boost the Sportage PHEV’s all-electric driving range, with the goal of squeezing up to 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, of all-electric range.
In North America, the base Sportage specifically comes with a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline four-cylinder good for 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains both feature the same tech and the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, but with different outputs.
The standard hybrid model without plug-in capabilities produces a total system output of 227 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque, while the top-spec plug-in hybrid punches out 261 horses and 258 pound-feet of twist. The current fourth-gen Sportage just received its mid-cycle update with the U.S.-spec model debuting late last year at the 2024 Los Angeles International Auto Show. To date, it remains Kia’s best-selling model in both North America and in Europe.
TopSpeed’s Take
The Kia Sportage continues to serve as a prime example of the automaker’s reputation for compelling value. The adoption of a gas-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid variant added more diversity to the range, allowing it to compete more directly with its rivals. Its transition to an all-hybrid lineup will help Kia move closer towards its electrification goals, without turning away customers who aren’t able to own and live with an electric vehicle today.
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