The South Korean automaker hasn't enjoyed the usually great times in America over the past few months – the struggle never ends because it still can't convince all customers to patch the vehicles against the 'Kia Boys' plague, and its Q1 sales have subtly declined.
Only Hyundai got an honorable mention during the first three months of the year, as its deliveries increased by 0.3%, while Kia was down to 179,621 units compared to 184,136 during the first quarter of 2023. No worries, though, as Kia is stubbornly hosting new software clinics in Colorado and trying to patch vehicles against the Kia Boys, the US vehicle lineup is looking more promising than ever. For example, they are preparing for the upcoming 'Summer Sticker' sales event with loads of novelties like the $25k Seltos, the thoroughly refreshed $32k Sorento, and the $34k Carnival MPV, while passenger car enthusiasts can select the upgraded K5 sedan from as low as $27k.
More goodies are coming, by the way. In fact, there's the incoming all-new, first-ever K4 compact car introduced as the replacement for the Forte/K3/Cerato series worldwide. As such, it should slot in the lineup later this year at around $20k, which is a great deal indeed. Of course, some of the biggest sales belong to the ultra-popular Sportage compact crossover SUV – and seeing how Hyundai introduced to America the 2025 Tucson and Santa Cruz at the 2024 New York International Auto Show, everyone and their mother thinks that Kia's Sportage cousin is next in line for a refresh.
That's also valid across the rumor mill along with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. For example, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube have unofficially imagined the CGI looks of the upcoming 2025 Kia Sportage facelift – and their resident pixel master didn't work too hard to envision the CUV because the latest apparitions like the Sorento and Carnival MPV easily inspired it.
However, they did strive hard to make this unofficial facelift design project enticing – they showed the hypothetical Sportage compact crossover SUV from two different angles on the outside, imagined the potential changes to the rear lights, and also envisioned the updates to the interior – complete with a new steering wheel, larger center console, and a wider infotainment screen. Last but not least, as per tradition, the host tuned out and allowed the primetime for the CGI expert's various color options for both the interior and exterior.
By the way, Kia is keen on showcasing loads of novelties this year – they are set to release the first-ever EV3 entry-level crossover SUV, and they recently announced the upgraded 2025 Kia EV6 at home in South Korea with sharper looks, a larger battery pack, and new tech features like a fingerprint sensor for login purposes. So, which one would you choose for your garage – this unofficial 2025 Sportage or the refreshed 2025 EV6?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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