- The refreshed compact crossover introduces a more user-friendly infotainment interface
- Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models get a modest boost of horsepower
- The 2026 Sportage goes on sale within the spring of 2025
Three years after its launch, Kia is giving its Sportage compact crossover a mid-cycle refresh while continuing to supply each hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
Debuting on the 2024 Los Angeles auto show, the 2026 Kia Sportage wears latest front end styling, with stacked LED headlights and amber daytime running lights much like the larger Kia Sorento mid-size crossover and the Carnival minivan. It’s one more dramatic look to interchange the one the Sportage has worn since its last redesign for the 2023 model yr.
Hybrid models add two latest grades—S and X-Line—which are amongst those equipped with a brand new curved 12.3-inch touchscreen that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Only wired versions were previously available with the larger optional screen.
The updated infotainment system is amongst several latest tech features for 2026. Others include a ten.0-inch head-up display, digital key functionality that permits the motive force to make use of a smartphone instead of the important thing fob, and updated versions of Kia’s forward-collision warning system and Highway Driving Assist 2 highway driver aid.
Each the Sportage hybrid and plug-in hybrid proceed to make use of a 1.6-liter turbo-4 and 6-speed automatic transmission, with an electrical motor sandwiched in between. Plug-in hybrids have a more powerful electric motor and a bigger battery pack. Outputs rise by 4 hp for the hybrid, to 231 hp, and seven hp for the plug-in hybrid, for 268 hp.
Front-wheel drive is standard with the hybrid powertrain, while all-wheel drive is optional, and standard on the plug-in hybrid. X-Line models add a Terrain mode for the all-wheel drive system for 2026, with settings for Snow, Mud, and Sand.
It’s unclear if the small increases in power will affect fuel economy. The Sportage hybrid is currently EPA-rated at 43 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 38 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. The plug-in hybrid is rated at 34 miles of electrical range, and 35 mpg combined after that.
Kia expects 2026 Sportage models to succeed in U.S. dealerships within the second quarter of 2025, with prices to be announced closer to that point. When it arrives, the updated Sportage will proceed to compete against the Hyundai Tucson, and Toyota RAV4—all of which supply hybrid and plug-in hybrid options—in addition to the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-50, which can be found as a hybrid but not as a plug-in hybrid.
This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
