For the first time since it was released 28 years ago, the Kia Sportage will feature a version designed and developed specifically for Europe.
While the version aimed at the rest of the world — unveiled last June — has grown significantly, the European Sportage has seen its growth be more measured, all to better “align up” with rivals like the new Nissan Qashqai and to better suit European tastes .
Scheduled for revelation on September 1, the South Korean SUV has now let itself be anticipated through a series of official sketches that let us understand a little better what will change compared to the Sportage that we were already able to know.
shorter and sportier
With more contained dimensions than the Sportages that will be sold outside Europe, the “European” Kia Sportage turns out to be practically identical to what has already been revealed up to the B pillar, making use of the new Kia design language, called “Opposites United ”.
As we can see in the sketch and in the image below, the front is now dominated by a kind of “mask” practically all black that extends the entire width of the vehicle. This integrates the grille and the headlights (LED Matrix), with these two elements being separated by the unprecedented LED daytime running lights that take on a format similar to that of a boomerang and that extend through the hood.
Also anticipated by the sketches is the black roof, a first for the model, which helps to highlight the sportier profile of the European version, a profile to which the fastback-style rear will contribute a lot.
Speaking of the rear, this is where, naturally, the biggest differences to the Sportage already revealed are concentrated, not only being shorter, but also much more dynamic in its design. The LED rear optics are shaped similar to the ones we've already seen, but here they are sharper.
The lower part of the bumper also appears in the same color as the bodywork — on the other Sportage it is gray —, reducing and delimiting more clearly the extensive area in black that we saw in its “brother”.
When arrives?
With arrival at European dealerships planned for this year, the new Kia Sportage is scheduled for launch in Portugal in the first quarter of 2022.
For now, the South Korean brand has not provided any details about the engines that should equip it.