Kia Australia has finally confirmed that the Kia Sportage Hybrid is due for local sales in early 2024. Previously denied to Australia thanks to a combination of production sourcing and left-hand drive development, the Sportage Hybrid will finally be built in both A) right-hand drive and B) Australian specification. Sold overseas since the current mode’s inception 18 months ago, the Sportage Hybrid uses the same hybrid drivetrain as the larger Sorento Hybrid – a 169kW/350Nm 1.6-litre turbo hybrid.
Under the bonnet of the Kia Sportage Hybrid is the same 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid drivetrain as the larger Sorento Hybrid. It makes a total of 169kW of power and 350Nm of torque, draws electric power from a 1.2kWh battery pack and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission – overseas, both front-and all-wheel drive powertrain options are available, but it’s not yet known which will be sold locally (though the larger Sorento Hybrid is sold in both front- and all-wheel drive here).
In the UK and on the WLTP cycle, the front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid is rated from 5.0L/100km, with the all-wheel drive version earning a 5.8L/100km rating. This compares well to the Australian-spec front-wheel drive 115kW 2.0-litre petrol Sportage, which is rated at 8.1L/100km.
It’s not yet known which variants of the Sportage range Kia Australia is planning to offer the hybrid drivetrain with, though is said to be wanting to offer more than just the top-spec GT-Line. This means we could see an entry-level Sportage S Hybrid or Sportage SX Hybrid, potentially priced from the low $40,000 range (plus on-road costs).
Why has the company waited so long to commit to the Sportage Hybrid for Australia? Unfortunately, it’s only been made in left-hand drive form fat the South Korean factory that Australian-spec Sportages are built. Right-hand drive hybrid models are made at the company’s Slovakian factory, but they’re the Europe-specific short wheelbase version – the rest of the world sells the long wheelbase Sportage – and would likely cost a lot more to import than if it were built in South Korea.
Kia’s twin Hyundai faces a similar situation with its Tucson Hybrid – mechanically identical to the Sportage Hybrid – which is yet to be confirmed for Australia thanks to the same situation, though its European siblings are made in the Czech Republic, not Slovakia. The Sportage Hybrid will join the ever popular Toyota RAV4, recently released Nissan X-Trail e-Power and GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid as the only hybrid versions of the extremely popular mid-size SUV segment in Australia.
The Kia Sportage Hybrid will go on sale in Australia in the first half of 2024, with local pricing and specifications to be announced before then. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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