With a wider front grille, amber daytime lights and winky stacked LED headlights, the 2026 Kia Sportage will greet car buyers and drivers with a more modern, cohesive look that harkens to Kia’s other popular models, the Telluride and EV9.
The incorporation of “Star map Lighting”, Kia’s signature with the arrival of the Telluride, is the starting point for the makeover of the Kia Sportage 2026. But it is also what unites Kia’s strategy of evolving the economical logo to premium.
Updating the Kia Sportage to give it a more sumptuous look and feel is also a big step in the brand’s trajectory; With almost 600,000 units sold internationally in 2024, the Sportage is Kia’s best-selling vehicle.
The new design takes an almost radical approach to the classic Tiger Nose grille which has been the foundation of Kia’s design language for nearly 20 years.
Not unlike BMW’s stretching of its kidney grille or Jeep’s ever-evolving seven-slot Sarge grille, Kia continues to play on the theme with modern dimensions; for the 2026 Sportage the grille spans to the corners of the front end, integrating into the stacked headlights. The look is distinct and modern, but without too much risk.
The first thing car buyers will notice when sitting in the driver’s seat is the modern interpretation of the cabin: a flat, rear steering wheel, combined with a low dashboard, a widescreen touchscreen multimedia system and a driver’s display. This concept has been noted in Tesla, Lucid, Volvo and Lincoln, as well as in the upcoming Jeep and Hyundai models. The concept is popular with designers because of the increased visibility achieved by flattening the idler wheel and reducing the driver’s display.
Buyers will also see a front demo option that further improves visibility, such as a satin-finished center console, a touch of luxury that reduces glare and adds an elegant feel to the cabin. Models on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show were finished in blonde leatherette with dark accents and dark gray quilted leatherette on other models at the show.
The 2026 Kia Sportage Offers Drivers Power Options and a Classic Shifter
The 2026 Kia Sportage is technically a styling update, a redesign, so Kia is expected to update the powertrains, which will offer buyers a choice of petrol, hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
While Kia hasn’t announced prices or the trim lineup, currently the hybrid represents a $1,400 premium over the gas-powered model and the plug-in hybrid electric represents as $7,600 upgrade over the same gas-powered trim, the X-Line. Kia also offers all wheel drive in all models, though AWD is standard on X-Line, X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige models.
Current powertrains come with a four-cylinder that makes 187 horsepower; a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid that makes 227 horsepower and an electric plug-in hybrid that delivers 268 horsepower and 34 miles of all-electric driving.
The rear of the 2026 Kia Sportage
Kia has seen success with the adventure trend among SUVs which also serve to increase the premium and performance features on the Sportage. With the addition of the mid-trim X-Line and top of the line X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige models to the lineup a few years ago, Kia added standard all wheel drive, premium interior features, all terrain tires and a sportier ‘athleisure’ feel: Capable off-road but comfortable for daily driving.
The 2026 Kia Sportage will go into production later in 2025 and the scope of the premium strategy progression will be visual when costs and finishes are announced closer to the start of deliveries. But the Sportage’s more similar visual DNA and popularity with buyers position Kia well on this journey.
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