Pricing and specifications for the facelifted 2026 Kia Sportage have been announced for Australia as first vehicles arrive in showrooms, and the upgraded mid-size SUV lineup brings more more hybrid variants, more standard equipment, and the introduction of Kia Connect services, accompanied by price increases of up to $4070.
As before, the Sportage will be offered in S, SX, SX+ and GT-Line trim levels, with no less than five different drivetrain variants available. The six-speed manual is dead, and 1.6T AWD variants swap out their dual-clutch automatic transmission for an eight-speed torque converter unit.
Further, hybrid (HEV) versions of the SX and GT-Line are now available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) form, taking the total number of hybrid options to four. Revised design details, new alloy wheel options and increased tech levels round out the highlights.
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Pricing for the MY26 Kia Sportage starts from $37,990 before on-road costs, which is $5000 higher than the old base manual and $3000 more than the outgoing entry-level S automatic. These price rises are somewhat offset by enhanced specification levels, as detailed further down.
Pricing
Prices are up across the board, by at least $500 and an average of around $3000 depending on the model variant.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
| 2026 Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD | $37,990 (+$2995) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage S 2.0D AWD | $43,390 (+$2995) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD | $40,480 (+$2930) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX 2.0D AWD | $45,880 (+$2930) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX 1.6T HEV FWD | $46,450 (+$500) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX 1.6T HEV AWD | $49,450 (NEW) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0 FWD | $45,080 (+$3030) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX+ 1.6T AWD | $47,080 (+$3030) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0D AWD | $50,480 (+$3030) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T AWD | $53,990 (+$4070) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line 2.0D AWD | $56,400 (+$3480) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T HEV FWD | $57,370 (+$2310) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T HEV AWD | $60,370 (NEW) |
Drivetrains and Efficiency
Kia has confirmed a four-strong engine lineup and changes like a new eight-speed auto for the 1.6T and the availability of AWD for the 1.6T Hybrid (HEV), though further details like outputs (if changed) and fuel consumption are still to be confirmed.
| Specifications | 2.0 FWD* | 1.6T AWD* | 2.0D AWD* | 1.6T HEV FWD/AWD* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0L 4cyl petrol | 1.6L 4cyl turbo-petrol | 2.0L 4cyl turbo-diesel | 1.6L 4cyl turbo-petrol HEV |
| Engine outputs | 115kW / 192Nm | 132kW / 265Nm | 137kW / 416Nm | 132kW / 265Nm |
| Electric motor outputs | – | – | – | 44kW / 264Nm |
| System outputs | – | – | – | TBC |
| Transmission | 6-speed auto | 8-speed auto | 8-speed auto | 6-speed auto |
| Drive type | FWD | AWD | AWD | FWD / AWD |
| Fuel economy (claimed)* | 8.1L/100km | 7.2L/100km | 6.3L/100km | 4.9L/100km – FWD |
| Fuel tank capacity | 54L | 54L | 54L | 52L |
| Fuel requirement | 91 octane | 91 octane | Diesel | 91 octane |
| Emissions standard | Euro 5 | Euro 5 | Euro 5 | Euro 5 |
*Figures quoted are for pre-facelift vehicles
Dimensions
Kia Australia hasn’t confirmed any changes to the Sportage’s dimensions – see below for pre-facelift figures.
| Dimensions | Kia Sportage | Kia Sportage HEV |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4660mm | 4660mm |
| Width | 1865mm | 1865mm |
| Height | 1660mm | 1680mm |
| Wheelbase | 2755mm | 2755mm |
| Boot space (second row up) | 542L | 586L |
| Boot space (second row folded) | 1829L | 1872L |
| Towing capacity (unbraked) | 750kg | 750kg |
| Towing capacity (braked) | 1900kg | 1650kg |
Servicing and Warranty
The updated Kia Sportage, like the Korean brand’s other models, will be covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty. Hybrid vehicles are also subject to a seven-year/150,000km high-voltage battery and component warranty.
| Servicing and Warranty | Kia Sportage |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres – vehicle |
| Roadside assistance | Up to 8 years – service initiated |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
Kia Australia offers seven years of capped-price servicing across its lineup, though finer details around intervals and pricing for the updated Sportage range are still to be confirmed.
For reference, the 2.0L petrol and turbo-diesel models in the pre-facelifted range have 12-month/15,000km intervals, while the turbocharged 1.6L petrol and HEV versions have shorter 10,000km distance intervals.
Safety
The updated Kia Sportage is expected to retain its five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on 2022 Euro NCAP tests.
| Category | Kia Sportage |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 87 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 87 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 66 per cent |
| Safety assist | 74 per cent |
While there have been some feature upgrades – such as a more advanced semi-autonomous Highway Driving Assist (HDA) system from SX+ level and up – the fundamentals appear to be the largely same.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- 7 airbags incl. front-centre
- Smart Cruise Control 2 – SCC 2 (NEW)
- incl. emergency assistance (NEW)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, cyclist detection
- Junction assist
- Blind-spot assist
- Intelligent speed limit assist
- Lane Following Assist (centring)
- Lane-keep assist
- Multi Collision Brake
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Parking sensors – front (NEW), rear
- Reversing camera
- Tyre pressure monitor
SX+ adds:
- Highway Driving Assist (NEW)
- Navigation-based semi-autonomous highway mode
- Adaptive cruise control + Lane Following Assist
GT-Line adds:
- AEB – reverse
- Blind Spot View Monitor
- Surround View Monitor – 360 cameras
Standard Equipment
Kia has confirmed preliminary specifications across the range, with each trim level scoring new equipment.
2025 Kia Sportage S equipment highlights:
- Kia Connect Services (NEW)
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment – ccNC Lite (NEW)
- Over the air (OTA) updates (NEW)
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Full-size alloy spare wheel
- Cloth upholstery
- Electronic park brake incl. Auto Hold
- Leather steering wheel
- PVC shift selector
Sportage SX adds:
- 12.3-inch navigation system – ccNC (NEW)
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Rain-sensing wipers
- 2-way lumbar support – driver
- Premium shift selector – Petrol, Diesel
- Dial-type shift selector – HEV
- Remote folding second-row seats
- Dual-zone climate control
- Temporary spare wheel – HEV
Sportage SX+ adds:
- Wireless phone charger (NEW)
- Heated steering wheel (NEW)
- 19-inch alloy wheels – Petrol, Diesel
- Power driver seat
- Heated front seats
- Harman Kardon premium audio
- Power tailgate
- Rear privacy glass
- Artificial leather upholstery
Sportage GT-Line adds:
- Head-up display (NEW)
- Dynamic welcome light – front, rear (NEW)
- Heated steering wheel (NEW for Petrol, Diesel)
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Memory function – driver seat
- Power front passenger seat
- Ventilated front seats
- Ambient mood lighting
- Panoramic sunroof
- LED interior lighting
- Alloy sports pedals
- Dial-type shift selector – all variants
Further details will be confirmed at the Australian media launch next week.
Colours
Two new paint options join the Sportage’s palette, while the outgoing model’s Dawning Red has been discontinued.
Standard: $NCO
Premium paint: $TBC
- Heritage Blue (NEW)
- Wolf Grey (NEW)
- Steel Grey
- Gravity Grey
- Fusion Black
- Vesta Blue
- Snow White Pearl – SX+, GT-Line only
- Jungle Wood Green – SX+, GT-Line only
MORE: Everything Kia Sportage
