Kia will soon add a PHEV variant to the new Sportage line-up, extending the SUVs powertrain lineup to include petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.
The new plug-in hybrid version is available to buy now and brings extended hybrid technology to the Sportage for the first time.
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The Sportage is Kia’s best-selling automobile in the UK and the new model will come with six different trim levels. kicking off the range is the Sportage ‘2’, which starts from £26,745 with a 148bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine. A 113bhp 1.6-litre diesel is available for an extra £1,000. Both are two-wheel drive and mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
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Equipment for the 2 includes 17-inch alloys, LED headlamps, front and rear vehicle parking sensors with a reversing camera, cruise control and automobile lights and wipers with an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system features DAB radio, Android automobile and Apple CarPlay connectivity, while there’s a suite of safety assist features including forward Collision Avoidance with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection.
Moving up to GT-Line trim (from £29,745) brings the option of additionally powertrains, including 48v mild-hybrid versions of the 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel – the latter of which sees power upped from 113bhp to 134bhp – both used with a seven-speed dual hold automatic gearbox. There’s also the 226bhp HEV hybrid model, mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. All GT-Line models are two-wheel drive until the plug-in hybrid arrives at the start of next year.