Kia Sportage Hybrid still unconfirmed for Australia

That Still more interested than ever to get its competitors to the top Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to Australia, but there is still no sign that the electrified Sportage will go on sale locally.

Kia Australia spoke about its desire to offer the petrol-electric Sportage – already on sale in South Korea – for the best part of 12 months now.

Australian buyers are voting with their wallets when it comes to hybrid mid-size SUVs, with 72 per cent of all RAV4s sold last year being electric.

Talk to CarExpert Recently, Kia Australia Product Development Manager, Roland Rivero, said his main priority is to bring the confirmed and homologated Sportage Hybrid to our market, while also addressing supply issues. future potential.

“From a selfish product planning point of view, ensuring the safety of the powertrain is a top priority. You have to start somewhere,” said Mr. Rivero.

“First and foremost is Australian certification and homology, then powertrain development. Lock that down, then push more supply is the next step.”

When asked if Kia Australia would follow a similar strategy with a larger one Sorentowhere hybrid power is only available in the top-spec GT-Line, Mr. Rivero will instead want a variety to cater to the different customer bases on the Sportage.

“In the first case, we wanted to bring in a GT-Line and possibly an SX – an intermediate vehicle that can accommodate a little fleet and a little entry. If the supply opens up a little more, we’ll probably use it fully. ”

Greater Kia Sorento Hybrid limited to only 20 units per month At the moment, it’s spread across front- and all-wheel drive, while the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid is in scarcer supply. All three electrified variants are only available in the locally top GT-Line trim.

Mr Rivero confirms the next generation Niro – will be offered in both hybrid (HEV) and EV versions – will be limited to 100-150 monthly units at launch. Kia Australia cites global demand, especially in Europe, as the main reason for such a short supply.

While the long-wheelbase Sportage sold in Australia is not sent to Europe, hybrid versions of our version are available in many markets including South Korea and North America.

Despite ongoing supply challenges in its range, Kia Australia is looking forward to 2022 be the best sales year ever, the annual vehicle volume forecast is 72,000. Last year, the company recorded 67,964 registrations.

Of those 72,000 units sold, Kia’s local division expects about 2,000 to be electrified, including around 600 EV6s – 100 more than originally planned.

For comparison, Toyota Australia regularly sells around 4000 RAV4s per month, of which the majority are hybrids. It’s a similar selling combo for its popularity Corolla, camry, Kluger and Yaris Cross lines.

Stay tuned CarExpert for all the latest information and let us know what you think in the comments.

THAN: Everything Kia Sportage