No, that’s not a typo. Kia Australia is finally bringing Hybrid sports car (or HEV) to Australia and will likely arrive early next year.
Talk to auto expertKia’s director of product planning, Roland Rivero, has confirmed production of the local models will begin in Korea in the fourth quarter of 2023 ahead of the sales launch. early 2024.
That timeline fits Kia’s typical pattern of introducing new models at the Australian Open, for which the Korean brand is an official partner and recently extended his contract until 2028.
After a stellar year with an overall third-place finish in the manufacturer’s sales race, Kia will finally have a rival for the top-selling spot. Toyota RAV4 hybridand finally offering an electrified option for its popular mid-size crossover.
-
American models show
2022 saw the new generation Sportage reach 18,792 registrations, ranking 4th in the segment behind Toyota RAV4 (34,845 units), Mazda CX-5 (27,062 units) and Mitsubishi Outlander (19,546 pieces).
Both the RAV4 and Outlander offer an electrified option, and the RAV4 Hybrid makes up the bulk of orders for Toyota’s mid-size SUV.
Power in Sportage HEV comes from the same 1.6 liter turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid system greater sorento HEVcombining a 132kW/265Nm four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 44kW/264Nm electric motor and 1.49kWh polymer lithium-ion battery.
System output is quoted at 169kW and 350Nm, which would make the Sportage one of the more powerful cars in its class. The RAV4 Hybrid delivers 160kW-163kW (but does not quote system torque), while Subaru Forester hybrid generating only 110kW and 196Nm.
In overseas markets, the Sportage Hybrid can be had in both FWD and AWD versions, with all variants getting a six-speed automatic transmission as standard. The US model, which shares the same long body as the Australian variants, quotes up to 43mpg on the combined cycle, converting to 5.47L per 100km use local indexes.
The North American branch also claims the Sportage Hybrid can achieve more than 500 miles (804 km) between fills of the 52-litre tank, which is roughly the range of a diesel engine.
-
American models show
Mr. Rivero added that supply for the Sportage Hybrid will be better than what we have seen for the Sorento HEV and that the local division is considering offering more than one variant. auto expert expect a top-spec GT-Line to be offered based on the previous model, as well as a low- or mid-spec grade that matches existing S or SX specs.
That’s recently forced to close Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid’s local order books are larger due to a growing pre-order log and a crippled supply of electrified variants – which max out at 20 HEV and 10 PHEV each. month. It’s a similar story for the younger Niro HEVin which Kia reaches about 50 units per month.
The supply situation will likely dictate the breadth of variants the local branch offers, and pricing is expected to follow the larger Sorento Hybrid’s structure.
Currently, the Sorento HEV FWD and AWD claim a $4700 premium over the GT-Line V6 FWD and Diesel AWD versions respectively. Given the more price-sensitive segment in which the Sportage competes, we anticipate a similar $4000-4500 premium for the Sportage HEV – Kia has previously acknowledged that this aspect is important.
By comparison, Toyota charges about $2500 more for the 2WD Hybrid than the equivalent 2WD petrol, with the E-Four AWD version adding another $3000. The Subaru Forester Hybrid is $3000 more expensive than the equivalent 2.5i AWD petrol in Australia.
-
American models show
Follow CarExpert for all the latest and let us know what you think in the comments!
THAN: Everything Kia Sportage
