Kia Releases Sportage Pictures Ahead of Show Debut

The fourth-generation Sportage gets a sleeker look and an upscale interior to help it compete better in the tough compact SUV segment.

In the new model, the Sportage's headlights are no longer integrated into the grille but are higher up next to the hood. The sides have a more raked profile and the wheel arches are more pronounced.

Kia says the Sportage has the most refined and highest-quality interior the brand has made to date.

The design changes and interior tweaks are aimed at giving the SUV a more upscale look and feel to help the model compete against rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai.

The Sportage was designed by Kia's European design center in Frankfurt with input from the brand's studios in Namyang, Korea and Irvine, California.

The SUV is Kia's top seller in Europe and the third best-selling compact SUV segment in the region after the Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan. Sportage sales in Europe rose 15 percent to 66,447 through July, according to market researcher JATO Dynamics.

The new Sportage will go on sale next year.