The popular Kia Sportage SUV has been given a mid-life refresh, including cosmetic tweaks, trim line-up revisions and infotainment upgrades.
The Sportage is currently the second best-selling new car in the UK in 2025, accounting for around 38% of Kia’s total UK sales so far this year, and the manufacturer is hoping that this facelift can give the SUV a sales edge over rivals like the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson.
Kia says it has given the Sportage look “a more confident look” including an updated front fascia with new LED headlights, LED ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights and revised front bumper design below an enlarged front grille. The SUV also sports new LED graphics for the tail lights and a new alloy wheel design. Kia also adds that it has improved the sound dampening in the front to make the driving experience a bit quieter in the cabin.
The manufacturer adds that it has “simplified” the Sportage model line-up, now including three different options – down from four. The entry-level ‘Pure’, mid-range ‘GT-Line’ and top-spec ‘GT-line S’ will be available with either a 145hp 1.6-litre petrol engine or a 232hp 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid, though a manual gearbox version of the lead-in petrol will only be available with the cheapest ‘Pure’ trim spec. All other models make use of an automatic gearbox.
The ‘Pure’, as well as the higher trims, will also be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time, but the technical specs and arrival date of this plug-in hybrid are yet to be confirmed.
Key trim level features
Lead-in ‘Pure’ (from £30,885)
- LED headlights, tail lights and daytime running lights
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Electric door mirrors
- Leather steering wheel
- Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
- Keyless start/stop
- Auto-dimming rear view mirror
- Smart cruise control and lane keeping assistance
- Four-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility
- Cloth upholstery
Mid-range ‘GT-Line’ (from £33,385)
- All ‘Pure’ features that are not replaced
- 18-inch alloy wheels (19-inch for hybrid)
- ‘GT-Line’ exterior styling package
- LED front fog lights
- Rear privacy glass
- Chrome skid plates
- Roof rails
- Synthetic leather and suede upholstery
- Heated steering wheel and front seats
Top-spec ‘GT-Line S’ (from £40,285)
- All lower trim features that are not replaced
- Adaptive LED headlights
- Panoramic sunroof
- Heated outer rear seats
- Electrically-adjustable and ventilated front seats
- Motorised boot lid
- 12-inch digital instrument cluster
- Premium Harman Kardon sound system
- Ten-inch head-up display
- Wireless smartphone charging pad
- Blind spot monitoring
- Surround-view parking camera
Inside, there is a new two-spoke steering wheel and a 12-inch central infotainment screen orientated towards the driver. This display is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as before, but now comes with a Chat GPT-powered AI assistant and entertainment apps like Netflix and YouTube can be selected when the car is stationary.
While the ‘Pure’ and ‘GT-Line’ variants come with a four-inch screen behind the steering wheel, the range-topping ‘GT-Line S’ has a larger 12-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as a ten-inch customisable head-up display that projects driving information onto the windscreen.
Now available to order in the UK, pricing for the refreshed Kia Sportage starts at just under £31k, rising to around £44k for the petrol-electric hybrid all-wheel drive ‘GT-Line S’ – the only all-wheel drive version currently offered.
The fifth-generation Kia Sportage currently holds an Expert Rating of A, with a score of 73% in our Expert Rating index. The SUV has been praised by the motoring media for its value-for-money entry-level models and impressive interior trim and tech, but criticised for its expensive top-end models and its ride comfort when compared to key rivals.
