Joining the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Nissan X-Trail, Kia Australia has just confirmed the arrival of a new hybrid version of its Sportage mid-size SUV for 2024.
The Sportage is being offered with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder hybrid, consisting of a 44kW/264Nm electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery, generating 169kW and 350Nm combined. That makes it the most powerful factory Sportage on the market, and the one of the most powerful hybrids in its class.
It’s being offered in two trim levels, including the SX FWD and GT-Line FWD. Both feature a six-speed automatic transmission and offer an impressive combined-cycle fuel consumption rating of 4.9L/100km, making it, you guessed it, the most economical variant in the showroom.
The hybrid package does bring in some distinct features over the equivalent petrol version. For example, the SX gets a shift-by-wire dial controller for the gear selections, as well as a temporary spare wheel. The GT-Line hybrid adds a heated steering wheel as well. Speaking about the new variant, CEO at Kia Australia, Damien Meredith, said:
“The Sportage range is an integral part of Kia’s sales initiatives and we anticipate sales of the HEV to be around 300 per month, contributing 20 per cent of total Sportage sales volume. The Sportage HEV is another solid step in Kia’s progress of increasing electrified options to the Australian market.”
So far this year, the Kia Sportage is off to a decent start in terms of sales. According to the February VFACTS report, which counts new vehicle registration figures, 3015 units have been delivered. That’s up 20.7 per cent compared with the first two months of last year. It sits in sixth position in the field of 22 models.
Prices for the new hybrid start from the following, excluding on-road costs. It’s on sale now.
2024 Kia Sportage SX Hybrid: $45,950
2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid: $55,420
