Kia Motors has revealed the 2019 Sportage facelift with a host of upgrades to the exterior and interior of the crossover. The updated model sports new safety and infotainment tech, while its biggest change comes under the hood with the addition of a new mild hybrid diesel engine joining the line-up. Kia says the new powertrains are fully compliant with the future emission standards. With respect to exterior changes, the 2019 Kia Sportage sports new front and rear bumpers with revised headlamp and taillight designs. There are new alloy wheels on offer across the range, while you also get metallic skid plates on the bumpers, chrome sill trims and five new colour options.
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More noticeable changes have been extended to the GT Line on the Kia Sportage facelift. The range-topping trim gets a gloss black radiator grille, as well as gloss black and silver skid plate. The side sills and tailgate is finished with dark chrome inserts, while the Sportage GT Line rides on new 19-inch alloy wheels. There are also new trapezoidal air vents on the bumper, and revised 'ice cube' LED fog lamps.
(The Kia Sportage facelift gets new dual-tone upholstery and new safety tech too)
Inside, the 2019 Kia Sportage facelift gets a revised instrument cluster, new black and grey dual-tone upholstery, while the GT Line can be had with the optional black leather with red accents interior. The feature list gets a host of upgrades on the Kia Sportage facelift for Europe with the model sporting advanced driving assistance systems including Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Around View Monitor for easy parking and Driver Attention Warning. The crossover also comes with the option of a 7-inch touchscreen or an 8-inch 'frameless' touchscreen infotainment system.
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Coming to the big change, the 2019 Kia Sportage facelift uses the new 2.0-litre EcoDynamic+ 48V mild-hybrid turbo diesel engine. The new motor is part of the automaker's global powertrain electrification strategy and features a mild-hybrid starter/generator unit with a 48-volt battery that cuts down CO2 emissions by four per cent. Kia is the first manufacturer to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric and 48-volt mild-hybrid technology across its full model line-up.
(The Kia Sportage facelift will go on sale in Europe in the third quarter of 2018)
Kia has also introduced the new 1.6-litre diesel engine on the 2019 Sportage facelift that replaces the existing 1.7-litre CRDi diesel motor. The new U3 CRDi engine is said to be the cleanest diesel engine made by the automaker and will be offered in two states of tune - 113 bhp and 134 bhp. The crossover will be available with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, along with all-wheel drive. All powertrains are now fully compliant with the Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard.
Deliveries for the 2019 Kia Sportage facelift will commence in the third quarter of this year across Europe. The company sold over 1.31 lakh units of the crossover in 2017, which represents a quarter of the brand's European sales. The new model is only expected to do better with the host of upgrades. Meanwhile, Kia Motors is gearing up to make its way in India; having announced its entry at the Auto Expo 2018 and will commence operations next year.
