Kia has just released the official design of the all-new Sportage. At a glance, it is quite a departure as it uses the Korean marque's new design language. The interior has received some improvements, and it also bears a new engine as well several new on-board technologies.
So, to what degree is the 2022 Kia Sportage different from the outgoing model? Let’s find out.
The all-new, fifth-generation Kia Sportage
2022 Kia Sportage Old vs New: Exterior
As mentioned, the all-new Kia Sportage bears a whole new exterior design. It departs from the rounded corners of the old model, and has some elements that depart from the more traditional-looking fourth-gen Sportage. On top of that, its overall shape is now more SUV-like than the old one.
The outgoing Sportage
Up front, the tiger-nose grille is gone and is replaced by a wider, more open grille that almost stretches the width of the car. The headlamp clusters are moved further towards the sides, and those are now surrounded by boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lamps. The new crossover model also features a flatter roofline, and a more angular rear end which features a prominent rear air dam. The shape of the taillights has also changed, but it still has an LED strip that crosses the tailgate.
The old Sportage of course features a smaller tiger-nose grille, a pair of conventional headlamp clusters that are positioned further upwards near the car’s hood, as well as a less angular side profile.
The new Kia Sportage
Lastly, the new model now bears a thinner D-pillar compared to the old Sportage’s rather chunky D-pillar.
2022 Kia Sportage Old vs New: Interior
While the interior design of the new Sportage looks more contemporary, the center display still leans to face the driver. Other than that, the new model appears to bear more soft-touch surfaces and is more minimalistic compared to the old model. Sure, there are still a lot of chrome trim pieces, but the arrangement of the controls in general looks more ergonomic.
The old Kia Sportage's interior
For the driver, the 2022 Sportage also does away with the gear-shift lever that the old one used. Instead, it now features a shift-by-wire dial-type shifter. The shape of the steering wheel however, still shares some similarities with the old one, but the centerpiece is sleeker-looking, but the bottom-spoke looks different.
The new Sportage's cockpit. Note the large touchscreen, and the new Kia logo
2022 Kia Sportage Old vs New: Tech and Safety
As for on-board tech, specific specs for the new Sportage won’t be revealed until its global launch later this year. Then again, the pictures are showing a new curved touchscreen display, which looks larger than the old model’s eight-inch touchscreen.
The new Kia model also features a digital gauge cluster, whereas the outgoing model is equipped with an analog gauge cluster. The layout of the air-conditioning system also suggests some improvements to the said system.
The new Sportage from the rear
2022 Kia Sportage Old vs New: Engine
While the information on the new Sportage’s power plants is slim, we do know that it uses the same platform as the new Hyundai Tucson. That said, it could be equipped with a 1.6-liter gasoline 48-volt mild-hybrid mill mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. This combination can make up to 226 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque.
The Tucson also has a 2.5-liter inline-4 mill, a 1.6-liter non-hybrid version, and a 2.0-liter diesel. We’re certain that either of these will be available to the new Sportage depending on the market.
The outgoing model's rear end
Currently, the Philippine-spec Sportage is propelled by a 2.0-liter gasoline inline-4 engine, which outputs a maximum of 182 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. It is then paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
As previously mentioned, the 2022 Kia Sportage will debut later this year. For this, keep reading here on Philkotse.com for more updates.