New Kia Sportage Prototype Spotted: Here’s What We Know

The Kia Sportage is among the most ubiquitous compact crossovers on the road today, debuting for model year 1995 to compete against cars like the Toyota RAV4, Geo Tracker, and so on. And over the course of five generations so far, not much has changed in this philosophy — give people a fun, practical SUV-alike with the footprint of a normal car and . Apparently people are liking what Kia’s putting out, as well, considering 2025 marked record sales for the Sportage, to the tune of 182,823 vehicles sold, with no signs of slowing. But, as we all know, nothing lasts forever, especially in today’s ever-evolving automotive climate.

Enter the all-new Sportage, or what we can glimpse of it, at least, in this new set of spy shots provided to SlashGear. Presumably this will be the 2028 model year, as the 2027 is already available for sale in the U.S. at least.

With Kia playing its Sportage cards close to its chest, we know little in terms of hard data about the new SUV. We do, though, know the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon are practically the same vehicle, just different brands; they have the same basic geometry, design philosophy, powertrain options, and general price points. So we can look at what the group is doing with the new-generation 2027 Tuscon and apply it with a fair degree of confidence here. That is to say, it’ll likely be proportionately larger, feature the next-gen hybrid system, and utilize that familiar modern minimalist design architecture.

What can we gleam from the spy shots?

First thing’s first: What does it look like? Basically, extremely similar to the new Tuscon, but that’s not surprising. It’s far more substantial than the outgoing Sportage, with sharp, angular lines and slab-like faces. The sides in particular are noticeably boxier thanks to the window line, forming a more SUV-like appearance; arguably it’s treading more into the midsize crossover territory, with the Ioniq taking over for the smaller role. It’s also not fully-electric, but rather a hybrid layout, judging by the exhaust pipe, so likely using that new turbo powertrain, making it another . Interior, expect the usual choice of different size infotainment screens, minimalistic design choices, and an evolved Gleo AI assistant.

The current Kia Sportage is one of the few crossovers available for a sub-$30,000 MSRP, which is likely another reason why it’s so popular today. The Korean firm will likely keep to a similar price bracket as it’s planning on doing with the Tuscon, which is set for a mid-$30k budget. A good way to view the new Tuscon is a smaller Telluride for a more budget-conscious family, something cheaper but in the same vein as a Range Rover Sport.

Overall, we’re seeing a more modernized, boxier design that departs from the traditional “big car” crossover look, with improved visibility from bigger windows, likely a more economical engine to offset the aerodynamic penalty, and an overall larger aesthetic with plenty of hard edges like the SUVs of old. These retro-inspired designs have proven time and again to sell well, and anything that doesn’t look like another blob on the road is more than welcome from us.