New Kia Sportage, EV6 and EV9 GT Unveiled At Los Angeles Auto Show

By Gary Gastelu |

Nov 21, 2024

The Kia Sportage has been updated for 2026 with a fresh face and features.

The compact SUV gets new lights, redesigned grilles and a revamped interior with a redesigned dashboard and new dual digital displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system touchscreen.

The Sportage will continue to be offered with the choice of three powertrains.

There’s a 187 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel or all-wheel drive; a 231 hp “Turbo-Hybrid” powertrain based around a turbocharged 1.6-liter four cylinder with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel or all-wheel drive; plus a plug-in version of the hybrid with 268 hp and all-wheel drive that can provide about 34 miles of all-electric driving.

New tech features include a head-up display, forward collision avoidance assist with direct oncoming detection and avoidance and a digital key.

The 2.5-liter Sportage will be offered in LX, EX, SX, SX-Prestige, X-Line and X-Pro Prestige trims. The last of those is a rugged model with light off-road capability that gets synthetic leather; unique front and rear fascias; all-terrain tires; standard all-wheel drive with a Terrain Mode for snow, mud and sand; a heated windshield and wiper nozzles; and a two-tone roof. All 2.5-liter models are built in Georgia, except for some LX and EX vehicles that are imported from South Korea.

The South Korean-made hybrid is available in a wider range of trims than before that includes LX, S, EX, X-Line and SX-Prestige. The plug-in hybrid comes in just two trims, X-Line and X-Line prestige. Prices for the 2026 Kia Sportage will be announced closer to when it goes on sale in the second quarter of next year. Kia also unveiled two electric vehicle models in Los Angeles alongside the Sportage.

The 2026 Kia EV9 GT is a new high performance version of the three-row crossover with a 501 hp all-wheel drive system that can accelerate it to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. It is equipped with a computer-controlled suspension, high-performance Continental tires and a Virtual Gear Shift to the one in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that simulates an eight-speed transmission, which can be “shifted” with paddles behind the steering wheel with the backdrop of a simulated engine sound. Unlike the rest of the EV9 lineup that is now made in Georgia, the EV9 GT will be assembled in South Korea.

The Kia EV6 its fourth year on the market with a mid-life update for 2025 that includes increases battery capacity increases and a new top range of 319 miles per charge for rear-wheel drive models. All EV6s will now be built in Georgia, except for the top of the line 601 hp EV6 GT, which will continue to be imported from South Korea and now features a maximum output of 641 hp and the Virtual Gear Shift.