Government approval documents have revealed the facelifted Kia Sportage should keep its diesel in Australia – while an expanded hybrid range is likely with all-wheel drive, and the manual is on the chopping block.
Family Cars
New details about the facelifted 2025 Kia Sportage have emerged for Australia ahead of its arrival in the second quarter (April to June) of the year.
Government approval documents reveal Kia's updated family SUV should keep its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine in Australia, rather than it being deleted in favour of hybrid technology – as recently seen with its Hyundai Tucson twin-under-the-skin.
Matched to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and an on-demand all-wheel drive system, the 137kW/416Nm diesel is currently available across all Sportage variants in Australia: the S, SX, SX+ and GT-Line.
The move will see the Sportage continue as the only vehicle among its direct rivals to be available with a diesel engine following the recent discontinuation of diesel versions of the Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan.
Other rivals, including the Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander, also ditched diesel in their current generations, with full-hybrid or plug-in hybrid models becoming the most fuel-efficient options.
However, Kia Australia is expected to emphasise hybrid tech with the updated Sportage – set to be marketed as a Model Year 2026 vehicle – tipped to grow from the current front-wheel-drive SX and GT-Line hybrids to include more variants and optional all-wheel drive for the first time locally.
The documents confirm the addition of an all-wheel-drive hybrid in Australia, but it remains unclear if all hybrid variants will be available with all-wheel drive or if it will be limited to flagship grades, such as the SX+ and GT-Line.
Kia is expected to use the facelift as an opportunity to introduce entry-level S and mid-spec SX+ versions of the Sportage Hybrid in Australia, joining the current SX and GT-Line.
Facelifted hybrid models feature a more-powerful 47.7kW electric motor – up from 44.2kW – with its combined output rising from 169kW to 172kW, matching the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid launched in mid-2024.
While the Sportage is also the only medium SUV still available with a manual transmission for its entry-level S and SX 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol variants, a manual is not listed in the government approval documents for the facelift, suggesting it will move to an automatic-only range.
Prices for the updated Kia Sportage are almost certain to rise in Australia if the manual is axed as an equivalent automatic model currently costs $2000 more than a manual version, with its new entry price likely to sit between $35,000 and $40,000 compared to $32,995 before on-road costs today.
In addition, the non-hybrid 1.6-litre turbocharged all-wheel-drive engine – likely to remain limited to SX+ and GT-Line grades – will switch from a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic first introduced in turbocharged versions of the Seltos small SUV and K4 sedan.
Exterior design tweaks include new front and rear bumpers, restyled LED headlights, a new LED tail-light signature, and revised 17-, 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels with the range-topping X-Line – currently sold in Australia as the GT-Line – gaining a new black-painted 19-inch design in Korea.
Inside, the dashboard and steering wheel have been redesigned, with the latter gaining a pressure sensor to detect when the driver is touching the wheel as well as a driver-facing attention monitoring camera in some markets.
Other revisions include new 'ccNC' software for its dual 12.3-inch instrument cluster and infotainment screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support for all variants, Kia Connect telematics for Australia, over-the-air software updates, an available windscreen-projected head-up display, and a reverse tilt-down function for its side mirrors.
Safety improvements include Kia's semi-autonomous Highway Driving Assist 2 technology, motorcyclist detection for its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, and updates to its lane-keep assist software.
More Australian details on the 2025 Kia Sportage will be confirmed closer to its launch.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
