Kia Malaysia has teased the facelifted fifth-gen (NQ5) Sportage on its socials. “What if a hybrid could be more than you imagined. A new chapter is taking shape, where performance and efficiency move as one. Are you ready for what’s next?” goes the caption.
Never mind that the car was globally unveiled all the way back in November 2024; South Korea has turbo-petrol and LPG powertrains as well, but the teaser above couldn’t be clearer as to which powertrain we should focus on.
The hybrid, which has been updated with an ‘infant mode’ for more gradual acceleration (so you can do quick overtakes without waking the baby up, we suppose), brings together a 180 PS/270 Nm 1.6 litre turbo four-cylinder engine and a 65 PS/264 Nm electric motor.
There’s no missing those new 7-shaped LED signatures, though to me they look like the crying emoji, for some reason. Length, width, height and wheelbase are respectively 4,685, 1,865, 1,660 and 2,755 mm. That means the facelift is 25 mm longer than before; all other dimensions stay the same.
The revised interior contains a more oblong-shaped two-spoke steering wheel with a Superman logo-shaped boss, and the air-con vents are now in one neat continuous line instead of the quirky shapes previously.
The dual 12.3-inch screens are still there, but now with Kia’s latest ccNC software (OTA updates, fingerprint authentication and, on higher variants, a head-up display). Thoughts?
NQ5 Kia Sportage facelift official images
NQ5 pre-facelift Kia Sportage 1.6T 2WD High in Malaysia
NQ5 pre-facelift Kia Sportage 2.0G 2WD High in Malaysia
Kia Sportage
from RM128,800 
Kia Carnival
from RM188,888 
Kia EV9
from RM368,668 
lousy kimchi garbage, better buy local Perodua QVE and support local automotive industry of 7600 thousand minimum wage malay and bangla jobs
Bro, you just exposed your own ignorance about cars. The Kia Sportage is assembled locally (CKD) at the Kulim plant by Malaysian workers, so buying it contributes directly to local jobs too.
You’re whining about 7,600 minimum-wage jobs while hyping up the Perodua QV-E, but do you even know that its most expensive core component—the battery—is sourced straight from China’s CATL?
That car is literally flopping so hard they had to extend a desperate RM 10,000 cash rebate just to clear stock. Local tech media are already roasting it for its cheap plastic interior, cramped space, and terrible torsion beam ride comfort. Stop embarrassing yourself, go study how local assembly works, and welcome to reality.
Please get the pricing right from the start. Nobody bats an eye now when Hyundai offers big discounts on the Tucson Hybrid. That’s what happens when you overprice your cars from day one.
Lol new gen is coming out later late this year or early next year this facelift baru nak datang Malaysia. Why not skipping this gen and bring new gen instead?
I guess this explains the massive rebates recently.
What I’d really like to see is for Kia to bring in the K4 here with the turbocharged 1.6L powertrain. The Civic sorely needs a competitor. To make things more interesting, bring in the K4 Hatchback – it’s a looker compared to the K4 Sedan and we have a huge lack of C-Seg hatchback offerings in this market. Assuming people can get over that SUV obsession.
Bro, you just exposed your own ignorance about cars. The Kia Sportage is assembled locally (CKD) at the Kulim plant by Malaysian workers, so buying it contributes directly to local jobs too.
You’re whining about 7,600 minimum-wage jobs while hyping up the Perodua QV-E, but do you even know that its most expensive core component—the battery—is sourced straight from China’s CATL?
That car is literally flopping so hard they had to extend a desperate RM 10,000 cash rebate just to clear stock. Local tech media are already roasting it for its cheap plastic interior, cramped space, and terrible torsion beam ride comfort. Stop embarrassing yourself, go study how local assembly works, and welcome to reality.