The 2026 Kia Sportage has been updated with sharper, more vertical headlights and a rectangle grille. The cabin now features a new curved digital display and an optional 10-inch head-up display that offers turn-by-turn navigation. There will also be two new trim levels for the hybrid Sportage cars, and both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions will get a few more horsepower. The fifth-generation Kia Sportage was released for the 2023 model year with a strange, alien-like look. The small SUV will now get a mid-cycle update that will make it look more like other cars. Even though the model sold in Korea already got some style changes earlier this month, Kia made all the information about the 2026 Kia Sportage for the US public at the Los Angeles auto show. Enhanced Appearance Both Inside and Out The most noticeable changes can be seen in the front, where the white LED running light in the helmet has been changed to orange and turned into a scythe-shaped part. The headlights get taller and chunkier, and they take up all four sides of a boxier grille. The form of the taillight stays the same, but it looks different. The Sportage will feature new 17-, 18-, and 19-inch wheel options, along with redesigned front and rear bumpers. The new, more rectangular, curved screen in the interior comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen already installed. You can add a 10-inch head-up display that can show turn-by-turn directions and other features to help the driver. Kia says that the center panel trim and the steering wheel, which now has two spokes, have been changed to get rid of finger smudges. The Sportage has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, these features are built into the head-up display. An easy-to-get 4G LTE Wi-Fi router can connect five devices. Kia also introduced Digital Key technology, which lets owners use compatible smartphones or smartwatches to lock, open, start, and change the temperature in their cars from afar. The owner can also make the infotainment system include the logo and color scheme of their favorite NBA team. Hybrid System Enhancements For 2026, an extra few horsepower have been added to the 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine in the hybrid and plug-in hybrid types. The PHEV now has 268 horsepower, which is seven horsepower more than before. The regular Sportage hybrid now has 231 horsepower, which is four horsepower more than before. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower is still used in cars that aren’t hybrids. All-wheel-drive Sportages now have a new mode called “Terrain” that can be used in sand, mud, and snow. Kia also added two new trim levels to its electric car. The Sportage S is in the middle of the LX and EX trim levels, and there is also a new hybrid type called the X-Line. The best of the bunch is the SX Prestige. There are still only two versions of the plug-in hybrid to choose from: X-Line and X-Line Prestige. The Sportage with pure gas still comes in the same range. The new Sportage S hybrid features 18-inch black wheels, black outer trim, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, wireless phone mirroring, and USB-C charging ports in the front and back. The X-Line hybrid now has a panoramic sunroof, LED fog lights, 19-inch black alloy wheels, and a charging pad that doesn’t need to be plugged in. For the 2026 Sportage, Kia also added new features to help the driver. Autonomous emergency braking is now normal and can tell the difference between cars, bikes, and people walking. The optional enhanced highway driving aid system can help you keep your speed and distance from the car in front of you set, and it can also help you handle the steering wheel when you need to change lanes. “Hands-on detection,” a new common feature, checks to see if the driver is holding the wheel and sounds an alert if they aren’t. We will know the exact price of the 2026 Sportage later, but it will be available in American stores in the second quarter of 2025. Prices for 2025 cars start at $28,565 for a pure-gas model, $29,965 for a hybrid, and $41,065 for a plug-in hybrid. We expect prices to go up slightly.
