2022 Kia Sportage Shows Wild Styling In First Real Images

The base model gets a tiny monochrome screen and regular AC.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Jul 20, 2021 at 5:04am ET

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The fifth-generation Sportage has gone on sale at home in South Korea, and to mark the occasion, Kia has dropped an extended photo gallery of its all-new compact crossover. Ever since its debut in early June, the Hyundai Tucson's sister model has generated quite the controversy with its unconventional design. It's the moment of truth as real photos of the NQ5-generation model have now been published.

This olive green example is a high-spec model with all the bells and whistles, including large 19-inch wheels with a two-tone design. At 4,660 millimeters (183.4 inches) long and with a wheelbase stretching at 2,755 mm (108.4 in), it's worth noting we are dealing with the global version of the Sportage. Debuting this fall in Europe, the different flavor of the crossover will be smaller by featuring a shorter wheelbase.

The Euro-spec Sportage is expected to have virtually the same styling, which should mean an identical front fascia some have characterized as being rather busy. The rest of the design is fairly conventional, and these new images show the differences between the LED headlights and taillights compared to the simpler clusters featuring good ol' bulbs.

The fresh imagery also shows how the lesser Sportage trims will look on the inside by eschewing the 12.3-inch dual-screen setup of the top-end variants. The midlevel models will have a smaller touchscreen flanked by rotary knobs and several shortcuts, while the entry-level vehicle will rock a tiny monochrome screen that looks like a leftover part from a 1990s car.

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Another obvious change from the fancy trim levels to the base Sportage is the area below the central air vents where the entry-level model has controls for regular AC rather than automatic climate control. It does away with the horizontal screen installed on the vehicles equipped with dual-zone temperature settings and has fewer settings to play with.

As a final note, all images depict the KDM-spec Sportage and there is a distinct possibility not all global markets will get the spartan version. It's hard to imagine Kia selling its new compact crossover in the US with the old-school center screen and regular AC, although we're sure some wouldn't mind seeing as how it would end up cheaper.