Kia Sportage GT-Line S 2.0 CRDi 48V 2018 first drive

Autocar rather likes the Kia Sportage, and given one was sold every 69 seconds last year, so do many European drivers.

To maintain the appeal of this mid-sized SUV, a midlife refresh brings not only aesthetic refinements but also updates to the infotainment system and a gamut of safety technologies.

They are subtle changes, mind. The foglight housings are new and are joined by gloss black and chrome trim within the redesigned front bumper. The ‘tiger nose’ grille has been developed a fraction, while new full-LED headlights feature four-point daytime running LEDs that ape those found on Porsche’s latest-generation models.

Inside, there’s a new steering wheel and instrument cluster, and the ventilation controls have been redesigned (although they still have an oddly puerile look to them). Depending on specification, you’ll get either a 7.0in or 8.0in touchscreen display that’s satisfactorily sharp, and even entry-level models come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

The engine line-up has also been tweaked to conform to Euro 6d TEMP emissions standards. Available in either naturally aspirated (128bhp) or turbocharged (171bhp) form, Kia’s Gamma direct-injection 1.6-litre petrol now has an updated particulate filter, and the old 1.7-litre CRDi turbo diesel is replaced by a new 1.6-litre unit tuned to 112bhp or 131bhp. These engines are mated to either a seven-speed dual-clutch or six-speed manual transmission, driving either the front or all four wheels.

All of these changes are, perhaps, insignificant developments relative to the debut of the new electrified powertrain we’re talking about here. You’ll find an almost identical version in the Sportage’s Hyundai Tucson sibling, which we’ve already driven.

It takes the form of a range-topping mild hybrid similar in principal to those seen on a raft of new models from premium manufacturers such as Audi, with the efforts of a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine assisted by those of a compact starter-generator unit belt-connected to the crankshaft.

Power for the 48V Ecodynamics+ system comes from a small lithium ion battery mounted beneath the boot floor — undoutbtedly eating into boot space, although Kia hasn’t yet said by how much — and the 13bhp electrical boost it facilitates takes the Sportage’s total output to a healthy 195bhp.