The 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid engine is likely to return but the non-hybrid gets a change under the hood.
The current Kia Sportage has been a great choice for small SUV buyers since its debut in 2023. Its fuel economy, spacious interior, great price, and attractive styling are all reasons why it sits at #2 in the Compact SUV category of our buyer’s guide. We suspected that the Sportage is still a year or so out from a mid-cycle refresh, but it might come sooner than we thought as the 2026 Kia Sportage was just revealed in Korea.
The 2026 Kia Sportage hasn’t been seen on any of the automaker’s websites outside of its Korean consumer site, so we don’t expect to see it available stateside for at least another six months or more. However, we can certainly glean some details from the KDM version that will likely make its way to the North American market version.
The first update you’ll notice is exterior styling. The front and rear of the 2026 Kia Sportage are completely reworked from the previous model with its design language more aligned with what we’ve seen on the EV9, like the vertical headlights for example. The rear taillights have been updated as well with a new design that is more geometric in shape than the previous lights.
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