Kia has unveiled the 2025 Sportage in South Korea, marking a significant departure from its predecessor with a more refined and elegant design aesthetic.
The new Sportage ditches the trademark “tiger nose” grille and bulky front bumper for a sleeker, more streamlined appearance. Its dimensions have been tweaked, now measuring 4,685 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width, and 1,660 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,755 mm. This makes it longer and lower than the previous model.
The front end features a redesigned grille and vertically oriented headlights with a hook-like motif, replacing the arrow-shaped design currently available in the Vietnamese market. The front bumper has been refined, doing away with the bulky inserts for a more sophisticated look. The wheel sizes remain unchanged, ranging from 17 to 19 inches, with varying trim designs.
The 2025 Kia Sportage. Image: Kia |
The rear of the 2025 Sportage remains largely unchanged, retaining the same design for the taillights and rear bumper as the current model. However, the interior of the new Sportage showcases a noticeable evolution from its predecessor. The dashboard features a curved, integrated infotainment screen, and the air conditioning controls have been repositioned lower on the center console. The steering wheel has been redesigned with a two-spoke, flat-bottom style and incorporates function buttons.
The seats have a minimalist design with matte plastic coverings. In contrast to the leaked images from the European market, all versions of the Sportage in its home market of South Korea are equipped with an electronic parking brake in the form of a rotary dial. The seat adjustment buttons and air conditioning controls have been rearranged for a more streamlined and organized appearance.
Under the hood, the 2025 Kia Sportage offered in South Korea boasts two powertrain options: a pure gasoline engine and a hybrid system. The gasoline-only model is powered by a Smartream 1.6L engine that delivers 178 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
2025 Kia Sportage. Image: Kia |
The hybrid variant combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with an electric motor, producing identical power and torque figures to the gasoline model. It is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Pricing for the 2025 Kia Sportage in South Korea starts at 20,561 USD and goes up to 35,310 USD. In Vietnam, the current-generation Sportage, which made its debut in 2022, has a starting price of 779 million VND and does not offer a hybrid option. The Kia Sportage competes in the C-segment SUV category against rivals such as the Mazda CX-5, Ford Territory, and Hyundai Tucson.
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