The current form of the KIA Sportage is fairly new to the world right now. This design has only been around since 2017 and expectations were that the manufacturer would not be looking to refresh the design for some time. Although the company has intentions to refresh the design of the KIA Sportage for its 2019 model. The 2019 KIA Sportage crossover was recently spotted test driving at Nurburgring. Luckily for us, the small crossover had no camouflage, and the car was photographed in its full glory for us to see. The company is ready to launch a refreshed design in 2019, but the design changes are pretty minor. The most significant changes in the new model are present in the front bumper. The change is the presence of twin chrome strips that divide the outboard bumper grilles. The grilles themselves went through some changes and are a little taller and more angular than the ones present in the current model. The same twin chrome strips also divide the fog lights in half. And finally, the lower center grille also seems larger and has a more aggressive look to it than the current model’s lower center grille.
Moving towards the backside, there are a few changes but not nearly as big as the ones on the front side. The light elements inside the taillights seem to have a new shape. The new model now also features a red crossbar that connects to the taillights. The tailpipes and the faux skid plate on the rear bumper seem to have been left untouched. The turn signals and rear reflectors are also redesigned.
We can safely assume that the 2019 model of the KIA Sportage crossover will not feature any major mechanical changes for the U.S. version. However, the manufacturer has announced that the diesel variant of the KIA Sportage crossover will be available with a 48v ultra-mild hybrid system. The main reason for the hybrid system is to reduce emissions and increase engine off time. Bear in mind that the KIA Sportage diesel version with the hybrid system is not announced for the U.S. market for now. However, guessing that the system will surely be added to the gas models and won’t affect the packaging much, we can safely assume that the KIA Sportage for the U.S. market will be offered with the hybrid system, although after some time.
