SPY PICS: Kia to facelift Sportage

Kia appears to have gone into overkill mode when attaching disguise cladding to a Sportage test mule spotted hot-weather testing in desert country in the south west of the USA.

Using some imagination to strip the test car of its ungainly cloak, it is possible to suggest the new-look Sportage will get some amendments to the front and rear aprons, as well as – maybe – a bit of work around the headlight, grille and tail-light areas.

Rear-end shots also show twin exhaust outlets, which may or may not indicate an engine tweak might be in store for top-end versions.

Automedia spy photographers also suggest the Sportage will gain Kia’s FlexSteer system that will hopefully be an improvement over the artificial feel of the current model’s electric steering.

Word is that the savvy and funky Kia SUV will also get upgraded infotainment systems, as well as environmental tweaks for the punchy diesel engines.

Kia may be slightly ahead of its position with Sportage so far this year, with year to date sales up from 1,799 in 2012 to 1951, but it still lags way behind sister brand

Hyundai which this year has sold no less than 7,395 iX35 models. This places it well ahead of Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan X-Trail, but behind both Mazda’s CX-5 (8,057 sales) and five and seven-seat versions of Holden’s Captiva (8,441 sales).

With Automedia

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