Kia Sportage Hybrid joins the range

KIA Australia has confirmed the arrival this month of its Sportage Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), the petrol-electric SUV offered in two trim grades from $45,950 plus on-road costs. The pricing makes the hybrid version some $8400 dearer than its petrol-powered sibling in SX trim.

The South Korean importer says the Sportage HEV impresses with comfort, convenience, and safety features. The model will be offered in front-wheel drive SX and GT-Line trims, the entry-grade S and mid-tier SX+ unavailable locally owing to limited supply.

The news comes as Kia increases the list price of its Sportage range by $200, the hybrid model arriving in the bustling Medium SUV segment to compete alongside the likes of the Honda CR-V e:HEV and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

It is powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid system as the larger Sorento Hybrid, which mates a 132kW/265Nm four-cylinder petrol engine with a 44kW/264Nm electric motor and a 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. Total system output is listed at 169kW/350Nm.

Transmission duties fall to a six-speed epicyclic automatic, contributing to an ADR Combined cycled fuel consumption figure of 4.9 litres per 100km.

In ensuring the Sportage Hybrid offers optimised aerodynamics, Kia has equipped both grades with 18-inch machine faced alloy wheels. A temporary steel spare wheel is standard.

Elsewhere, standard equipment on the Sportage SX Hybrid includes a shift-by-wire (rotary type) gear selector, 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, a 4.2-inch driver cluster, cloth upholstery, dual-zone climate control, folding type key, six-way driver seat adjustment with two-way lumbar support, electronic park brake with auto-hold function, front and rear acoustic parking sensors, reversing camera, and tyre pressure monitoring system.

For the GT-Line grade we find a heated steering wheel, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, leather appointed upholstery, keyless entry and ignition, a panoramic sunroof, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, 360-degree camera system, blind spot monitoring, smart powered tailgate, eight-way powered driver’s seat adjustment (again with two-way lumbar), heated and ventilated front seats, and rear privacy glass.

“The Sportage range was already an excellent Medium SUV package in a very popular and competitive segment, and the addition of a hybrid variant strengthens our offering considerably,” said Kia Australia chief executive officer Damien Meredith.

“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.”

2024 Kia Sportage pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.