2022 Kia Sportage: New information surfaces, Australian division “keen” on a hybrid option
The 2022 Kia Sportage will be offered with a petrol, diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid, CarAdvice understands.
More details regarding the upcoming 2022 Kia Sportage have emerged online, courtesy of the well-informed website The Korean Car Blog.
It's expected the mid-size family SUV – which shares much of its underpinnings with the Hyundai Tucson – will be offered with four engine options in overseas markets: a four-cylinder petrol, a four-cylinder diesel, a 'conventional' petrol hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
The plug-in hybrid has been all but ruled out for Australia, however a spokesperson for the brand told CarAdvice: "Kia Australia is certainly keen on the [regular] hybrid variant.
“It’s not yet confirmed in right-hand drive and [if it did come it] would arrive later than the petrol and diesel models scheduled for [October or November] this year. There is no discussion regarding the PHEV at this point in time."
The 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine has a claimed output of 134kW/265Nm, according to The Korean Car Blog. With this powertrain fitted, the vehicle is said to tip the scales at 1525kg, which is par for the class.
The conventional hybrid has the same 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, paired with an electric motor to give 169kW (no torque figure is provided). Electrification reportedly adds approximately 100kg to the vehicle’s total weight.
Diesel and plug-in hybrid outputs are not yet known, however the correlated powertrains from the closely-related Hyundai Tucson develop 137kW/416Nm and 195kW/350Nm respectively.
In the cabin, the 2022 Kia Sportage is said to be available with two 12.3-inch curved touchscreens across the dashboard, for infotainment and instrumentation.
Kia says pricing and the complete list of specifications will be announced closer to the local launch.
Stay tuned to CarAdvice and Drive for all the latest updates on the 2022 Kia Sportage.
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