SPY PICS: Kia Sportage in line for a refresh

Sportage spotters take note: A revised version of Kia's neat mid-size SUV is on the way – but you'll need more than a single look to recognise it.

Visual changes are chiefly focussed on the front end, where a completely new bumper gives a newly aggressive look. This comes courtesy of a more visually pronounced lower air intake area topped by a full-width trim strip incorporating a slim vent below the grille that connects the redesigned parking/fog light arrays nestled within more boldly-profiled outer mouldings.

The grille looks subtly different, with an overall shape that's a tad more rounded than before. A more sober shape does away with the current Sportage's smiling-face look. And the headlights, at least on this GT-Line version, appear to feature an array of rectangular LEDs flanking a single round light, all behind what looks like the same basic outer lens as today's car.

The GT-Line's 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels are a new, more angular design too.

Moving to the back, we find the changes to the Sportage are even more subtle. They are confined essentially to new double-decker reversing lights/reflectors in a slightly redesigned bumper, again connected by a thin – also chromed – trim strip.

Internally, obvious changes are hard to spot from the spy photos – and we suspect that if there were any, they would be minimal anyway.

Persistent rumours are suggesting that the Sportage is due to get a new 48-volt hybrid powertrain to supplement the existing lineup of 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre petrol engines, and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

Given the undisguised car seen here, it would be reasonable to expect the refreshed Kia Sportage is not too far away, maybe to be seen at this year's Paris motor show in October – which would suggest an Australian launch during the first half of 2019.

The Kia Sportage competes in the mid-size SUV segment against Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander, and currently sits in 7th place in year-to-date sales. For Kia, it is the second biggest seller behind the Cerato hatch/sedan range.