LAUNCHED: The Kia Sportage is back in PH with turbo-hybrid, Php 1.978M starting price
2026 is indeed the year of the compact SUV. After the launch of the updated Honda CR-V, new-generation Toyota RAV4, and comeback of the Nissan X-Trail, the Kia Sportage officially makes its own return to our market after a few years of absence.
Last offered locally in 2021, the Kia Sportage’s few years of disappearance from the local market certainly left a bit of a gap in the Kia Philippines lineup, between the Seltos subcompact crossover and Sorento midsize crossover. With the nameplate back, it’s being offered in its latest iteration that was revealed in late 2024.
Two variants are available in our market–the entry level 1.6 EX Turbo Hybrid which is priced at Php 1,978,000, with an introductory price of Php 1,898,000 until the end of July 2026, and the 1.6 SX Turbo Hybrid which is priced at Php 2,098,000. This undercuts not only the pricing of its Hyundai Tucson platform mate, but also its Japanese rivals.
With our market receiving the latest iteration of the Sportage, it wears a simplified version of the Tiger Nose front fascia, compared to the pre-facelift version. It gets Kia’s signature Star Map LED lighting and a wide front grille, matched with a sleek interior with a single housing for its screens, and horizontal climate vents.
As for equipment, standard on the EX variant are LED combination front and rear lighting, 18-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, leather seat upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a six-speaker audio system, a segmented LCD instrument cluster with color TFT display, a reverse camera, and front and rear parking sensors.
Added on the SX variant are a power-adjustable driver seat, interior mood lighting, a wireless phone charger, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. The SX also gets the Kia Drivewise suite of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS), featuring automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane following assist, and blind spot detection, just to name a few.
Four exterior colors are available for the Kia Sportage. Heritage Blue is exclusively available on the SX, while Gravity Grey, Wolf Grey, and Snow White Pearl are available for both variants. The interior for both is finished in an all-black scheme with contrasting silver and gray trim, with the SX available with an optional two-tone color scheme.
Under the hood of both Kia Sportage variants is a familiar powertrain, shared with the Kia Sorento and Kia Carnival, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Staria.
It’s a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that’s paired to an electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery. This parallel hybrid system produces a combined 235 horsepower and 367Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Kia Philippines also claims that this powertrain is capable of a fuel economy figure of up to 20km/l in urban settings, and up to 1,040km of driving range on a single full tank of gas.
As with other Kia hybrid products, Sportage buyers will be able to take advantage of a standard five-year or 160,000km vehicle warranty, along with an eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty, and 24/7 roadside assistance.
The return of the Kia Sportage is surely welcome in our market, especially with buyers moving away from larger pickup-based SUVs. With its very aggressive pricing and turbo-hybrid powertrain, do you think it will have what it takes to steal sales from its similarly sized rivals, and even larger SUVs?
Photos by Sam Surla
