Kia’s new large SUV, the Telluride, has been getting loads of attention after its Super Bowl closeup, but the automaker is now shining some light on one of its smallest SUVs, the Sportage. The refreshed 2020 Sportage compact SUV was unveiled today at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.
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The changes to the model are light and include front- and rear-end styling tweaks, additional convenience and safety equipment, and a new sport-oriented S model. Powertrains carryover from 2019. The 2020 Sportage will again be offered in LX, EX and SX trims in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive; the new S model adds sporty exterior and interior design features.
Outside, the refreshed model gets a new headlight design with available LED turn indicators, as well as redesigned projector-beam foglights. The overall shape of the grille is the same as the outgoing model, but the new one gets some more bling courtesy of a chrome strip that now bisects the foglights. In back, the taillight design is also tweaked, as well as the exhaust-tip design. A new color joins the lineup this year: metallic Steel Grey.
New interior features include available leatherette seats, a standard 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, a revised steering-wheel design and an available wireless charging tray for smartphones.
The Sportage’s list of available safety equipment also grows for 2019, and the new features make it more competitive with those in the class who already offer active safety and driver assistance systems. Newly available features include a driver attention warning system, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control that works down to a stop, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and a high-beam assist system.
There’s no word yet on which systems will be standard or on what model they’ll be available, but the Sportage’s Hyundai sibling, the 2019 Tucson, got a similar list of safety features this year and they’re all standard, even on the base model.
The 2020 Sportage will go on sale during the first half of 2019; Kia said it will announce pricing closer to the SUV’s on-sale date.
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