2022 Kia Sportage Hybrid makes more power than turbo-diesel

When the all-new Kia Sportage first came out five months ago, we were all surprised by its good looks. Featuring a muscular and modern exterior look, the all-new crossover essentially highlights the brand's future design direction.

A month after it was revealed, Kia detailed some of its features. At the time it was released, it was available with two engine options; a 1.6-liter turbo-gasoline that makes 180 PS with 265 Nm of torque, and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel that puts out 186 PS with 417 Nm of torque. The former can be married to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch, while the latter is only available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Kia said that in the future, they will release more eco-friendly powertrains that include a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. That time has arrived, and Kia has just revealed the 2022 Sportage Hybrid.

Unveiled at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, the electrified Sportage makes use of a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that is helped along by a 44-kW electric motor. The result is a total system output of 226 PS which is a 46 PS increase over the non-hybrid turbo model. Torque output was not revealed but it's likely that it also received a relative increase as well.

Instead of a dual-clutch transmission, the hybrid is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox and will be available with all-wheel drive. Kia claims that the Sportage Hybrid can average 16.58 km/L. While not exactly efficient as most hybrids, that's not bad coming from a turbocharged hybrid engine.

For now, the Sportage Hybrid is available for the North American market. But given that Kia plans to make its eco-friendly powertrains available worldwide, we won't be surprised if it will be launched in other markets like Europe and Asia in the near future.

With three engine choices now available, could the all-new Sportage come with a hybrid engine once it arrives here in the Philippines? Currently, the outgoing model is only available with either a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine or a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-four. But with Kia Philippines recently rebranding itself, there could be a possibility that the automaker will start offering electrified models.

Assuming Kia Philippines does offer the Sportage Hybrid, would you get it over the turbo-diesel engine? Let us know in the comments.