Following the 2022 Hyundai Tucson's official US debut, it shouldn't be too much longer until its Kia-badged sister vehicle arrives on the scene. A few rendering artists have put together visualizations of what the 2022 Kia Sportage will look like, based on a single test mule spy shot taken earlier this year. Our spy photographers have now captured another camouflaged Sportage test mule, this time giving us a much better view of the car.
Most of the details are still under wraps, but this provides a better idea of the overall shape than the previously-spotted prototype with heavy body cladding. Like the Hyundai Tucson, we expect the next-generation Kia Sportage to look radically different from the current model we enjoy today.
The front end will feature a variation of Kia's signature tiger-nose grille along with completely re-shaped headlights and a new hood. Based on the renderings, the Sportage should bear some resemblance to the K5 sedan, which is a very sporty-looking vehicle.
From the side, the Sportage features rounded wheel arches rather than the squared-off ones on the Tucson. The C-pillar looks much different here as well. At the back, it does not appear like the Sportage will use a connected taillight bar like the Tucson, although it could just be covered by the camo to fool us.
We expect the Kia Sportage to arrive sporting the same powertrain options as its Hyundai counterpart. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder will act as the base powertrain with 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, while the hybrid model will combine a 1.6-liter turbo-four with an electric motor to produce 226 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Like the Tuscon, the Sportage is expected to arrive with a plug-in hybrid option that delivers an all-electric range of 28 miles and estimated fuel economy ratings of over 70 MPGe.
Expect to see an official global market reveal sometime next year with a US-specific debut to follow.